EMPIRE5! Worlds of Axiom

[Gengy]

EMPIRE 5!

Worlds of Axiom

This thread is associated with the Empire5! world-building game. The game is the history of a universe building event, with the actions the players take shaping the intricate details of an ever changing, constantly conflicting, galaxy.

Below are the worlds themselves, where players may post the details of their own space regions, adding fluff and details as they go. This is a reference guide, compilation and index of these worlds and the sectors of space around them.


Players! Please post your region groups below. This thread we aim to keep unlocked so you may not fear the mods closing a thread you're post is in, and keeping it from being editable, as can happen with the OOC threads. It also makes finding details about specific regions easier if they are all in one place, for obvious reasons. This thread also allows you to post as much as you need, and if you need a larger group, feel free to copy and paste your posts into new posts and deleting your old ones so that you get more room. However, please use double (and more) posting only when it is necessary based on your character length (or anticipation thereof) as the forum rules dictate.

Others! If you are interested in being a part of this game, see the main thread which is in the Player Recruitment section of the forums. Once your region is approved, you can post it here.

IC Thread
OOC Thread

[Reggiejam]

Unified Public Trust

Xaldarian Expanse & Yeon (E7)

Spoiler: Stellar Cartography

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Two primary solar systems fall under Unified Public Trust dominion. The first is known as the Xaldarian Expanse named after the homeworld of the Symbraum. In this system the sun is a white dwarf locally named Haz around which three planets are recognized as distinct celestial bodies and two additional planetoids act as moons. The nearest planet to Haz is Ghel, an uninhabited small rocky planet whose atmosphere of methane was considered toxic by the Symbraum and their host species. The second planet was Xaldar, a largely barren desert-like planet upon its surface but one that teemed with life in an underground planetwide ocean from which the Symbraum had evolved. The third planet in this system was Jorv, an icy rock with only the simplest of organisms living in the waters beneath its frozen surface. Xaldar hosts both moons known as the twins Kop and Pok of similar size and white coloration.

The second solar system is known as the Yeon, translated to other languages most accurately as some form of “Salvation.” This system boasts a vibrant yellow star, six planets, and twenty one moons among them. While this system is well understood in theory by the UPT much of the inner planets and outer planets have gone unsurveyed as political concerns have kept attentions focused on the two “middle” planets and their five moons. From sun to outermost ring the planets are: Ghel II, Luw, Polisto, Jahew, Urto, and Jorv II. Polisto is a luscious planet with a dense arrangement of biomes from its jungle-ridden equator to its swampy northern hemisphere and deeply frozen poles. Jahew is less luscious though this was perhaps attributable to its greater inudstrialization both before and after the arrival of the Symbraum. Polisto hosts three moons Ili, Por, and Fru of which both Ili and Fru are habitable and lightly colonized. Jahew hosts two moons Rud and Evy neither of which is currently inhabited but proposals have been made regarding their suitability for terraforming.

Spoiler: Populace

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The region of space dominated by the Unified Public Trust is inhabited by what appears at first to be a plethora of intelligent and quite varied lifeforms from bipedal humanoids to quadrupeds resembling the apex predator animals known to on other planets to winged beasts akin to earth’s ancient “pterodactyls” and smaller birds. Even beneath the seas there are seemingly intelligent aquatic species who engage in advanced terraforming beneath the waves. However, a closer study of these many varied lifeforms soon reveals unusual similarities in physiology not explainable by convergent evolution or even a common ancestry. Rather, what these many species shared was the (often former) possession of a brain and thus with it a feeding ground and home for the Symbraum parasite.

In truth these many and varied creatures were not intelligent lifeforms independently but were made intelligent in their service as host bodies to an interstellar race of parasites known as the “Symbraum.” Each intelligence under long term Symbraum domination develops a common violet blood, an enlarged cranium, and many develop tentacle-like appendages often around the mouth but capable of protruding almost anywhere on the body. The Symbraum themselves resemble slug-like tadpoles; purple-grey in color, veiny with purple blood, and one larger end signifying the “head” containing the parasite’s brain. Their semi-translucent skin reveals at this heavier end the bumpy folds of a highly advanced brain, unusual in such an otherwise simple creature. The Symbraum are amphibious in their independent state preferring to swim through and atop stagnant pools which grew hazy and slime-filled by their presence. It was, however, unusual for a Symbraum to remain in this state for long as they possessed a unique trait their biology and psychology drove them to fulfill, the ability to consume and supplant the mind of another living creature with their own.

Capable of entering another creature through an open orifice either of their own volition or through insertion by an existing Symbraum host the Symbraum quickly attached itself to the brain feeding off both the material and psychic energy generated by a mind. In a short period of time the Symbraum consumed the creature’s brain entirely and asserted itself as the new central nerve center of the host body. A Symbraum retains its hosts memories and skills but the personality was fundamentally altered, leading hosts to become more docile regarding the Symbraum race and willing to aid the spread of more Symbraum to hosts. Alongside these personality flattening traits however came an enhancement to mental acuity and a low level psionic connection to the network of hosted and unhosted Symbraums surrounding them. While psionic ability was limited to emotional communication research was constantly being conducted to expand the psionic abilities of both hosted and unhosted Symbraum.

In addition to enhanced mental capacity Symbraum hosts often boasted longer lives than their unhosted brethren as did the Symbraum itself. In fact while a Symbraum who never hosted could only expect to live thirty years at most a Symbraum who had bonded with a host could expect an additional twenty years added to their life per host, dependent on their host’s original mental faculties which set the baseline for stimulation. Symbraum who bonded with animalistic intelligences lived shorter lives than those who bonded with intelligent creatures for example.

Spoiler: History

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Approximately five hundred years ago a starship crashed on Xaldar, the homeworld of the Symbraum parasite bringing with it aliens known now only as "the Visitors" to the planet. Older classical texts claim the ship was of Caller design, some even going so far as to claim it was Callers themselves who crashed, though modern research has cast these claims in doubt. What is not in doubt however is that the arrival of intelligent galaxy-traversing life to the seas of Xaldar kickstarted Symbraum development into the intelligent species that would come to dominate this region of space. In only a century the Symbraum who had arguably held some position of evolutionary dominance in their planet’s underdark ocean became aware of not only the world above in more concrete ways but of the vast interstellar “ocean” beyond. In less than two centuries the Symbraum had created their own craft modeled on that of their extraterrestrial visitors and begun to reach feebly beyond their own planet’s confines.

For nearly a century the Symbraum established satellites and low orbit research stations but soon the bodies of new hosts of sufficient intellect to carry on this research began to grow scarce as genetic revisionism and unguided procreation had dulled the edge first granted by Xaldar’s visitation. Realizing if they were to continue to survive and experience the wonders of the galaxy they would need new intelligent hosts the Symbraum sought to push out beyond their world, sending a generation ship containing half of their greatest intelligences and a mass pool of Symbraum young to traverse deep space in pursuit of a new species of intelligent life with which they could meld. The Symbraum found the salvation they sought in the Yeon system whose planets of Polisto and Jahew hosted abundant life including on Jahew a bipedal humanoid race who called themselves the “Catarin” who had developed industrial machining by the time the Symbraum arrived in their system a little over seventy years from their departure.

A carefully plotted infiltration campaign began on Jahew while Polisto was meticulously studied and its vicious fauna was turned into hosts and defenders for new Symbraum breeding pools. Contact was quietly established between infiltrated Catarin governments and Xaldar alerting the Symbraum homeworld of a new body of hosts prompting additional ships, enhanced now by the more refined design capable with the consumption of Catarin minds, to be sent. After a little over two centuries of covert infiltration the Symbraum announced their presence to the Catarin with little pushback as nearly all major power structures on the planet had been brought under Symbraum authority. A brief civil war erupted as those who sought to deny the Symbraum their species’ brains tried to resist their incorporation into the stellar power of the Unified Public Trust but brutal policies of enslavement coupled with surface level concessions to “Catarin independence” quickly pacified the locals. So it was that approximately three centuries after their arrival in the Yeon System and five centuries after the arrival of the crashed ship on Xaldar the Symbraum had come to dominate two solar systems and three habitable planets between them.

Spoiler: Politics

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The psionic connectivity shared between Symbraum as well as recognition of their procreation and development as offensive towards other intelligent lifeforms has fostered a cooperative but highly secretive and selective society built on Cabals of locally organized Symbraum whose leadership in turn belong to and report to wider Commissions who in turn make up the seven major Divisions. A Symbraum is not naturally a part of any particular Commission or Division and many live and die belonging to nothing more than their local Cabal voicing opinions through psionic “vote” on the issues presented to them by their Cabal’s leader. Cabal leaders must belong to a specific Commission and all Commissions fall under and are created by the seven Divisions. Historically the Divisions have fluctuated in scope of authority but currently the Space Exploration Division dominates intergalactic affairs. The appointment of the Symbiosis Commission’s Director to represent the UPT does however represent the continued influence and local power of both the Breeding Division and Protection Division.

Seven Divisions of the Unified Public Trust

• Space Exploration - Currently the most influential of the seven Divisions with regard to UPT representation outside Xaldar, Polisto, and Jahew the SED directs and operates almost the entirety of the UPT’s interstellar vessels. Having been founded through unanimous declaration the now defunct Terrestrial Exploration Division was transformed following the linking of contact between Xaldar and the first generation ship sent to Yeon. In the intervening centuries the SED has grown slowly though recent rumors of contact by the Callers have bolstered their numbers and support among nominally rival Divisions seeking to take advantage of new celestial discoveries.
• Breeding - Historically one of if not the most powerful Divisions since the arrival of the Visitors and realization of limited genetic material suitable for serving as advanced Symbraum hosts the BD concerns itself with carefully guided propagation of the parasitic Symbraum as well as the litany of biological hosts now serving Symbraum needs. A cross between eugenicists and conservationists the BD maintains a significant presence on all colonized UPT planets and moons. Some say the highest echelons of this Division are responsible for orchestrating many of the mass campaigns undertaken by the UPT but even if true reliance on Divisional unanimity for serious undertakings limits the reach of their power.
• Protection - The ostensible military arm of the UPT since the conquest of Jahew the PD has atrophied though it maintains small outposts all across the surface of Jahew and training facilities on Polisto centered around training hosted Symbraum to use the planet’s native beasts to terrifying effect upon the field of battle. Currently few of UPT’s starships are under PD administration though a few orbital stations over Jahew remain under this strict Division’s authority.
• Resource Exchange - A highly valued and wealthy Division but politically weak thanks to conspiracy by the other Divisions to limit mercantile influence upon the population lest their lust for accumulation cause unrest the RED oversees resource allocation within and without UPT held territory. RED has been an avid ally to the SED willing to back less well defended schemes by the explorers in the hopes that opportunity may arise from these ventures to acquire greater wealth for their own Division.
• Applied Research - Composed of the more scientifically and engineer minded Symbraum ARD is responsible for the latest technology employed by UPT. ARD designed the old generation ships used to colonize Yeon as well as the communications array which ties the two UPT systems together through ftl radio communication. ARD has been agitating for some time to begin a new phase of starship design though the cost involved and unwillingness of ARD to cooperate with RED has stalled these designs for over a decade. It is rumored ARD were the source of contact by the rumored Caller transmission recently uncovered though as of yet no official announcement has been made regarding this mysterious broadcast.
• Transcendence - Charged with responsibility to unlock the power of the Symbraum mind through trial and study TD is the numerically smallest but arguably most outsized in influence Department among the seven. TD studies psionics and legends of supernatural occurrences unexplained by ARD seeking to unlock the hidden power of intelligence. As the most mysterious Department oftentimes they are relied upon by their fellow Divisions to vote certain ways on certain issues under the quid pro quo understanding that on the rare occassions when the TD makes a proposal it will be supported with minimal resistance or questioning.
• Foreign Relations - Having commanded great power and respect in the years leading up to and immediately following the colonization of Jahew the FRD has declined in scope since the pacification of the last remaining rebels. This Division, like the RED, has supported the SED under hopes that their explorations will reveal new life which might be contacted and either infiltrated or otherwise turned away from the seeming intuitive decision of intelligences like the Catarin to seek the Symbraum race’s destruction. The FRD naturally has a strong historical bond with the PD and the two declined authorities have in recent decades formed a nearly unbreakable power bloc within the government, unable to take power but effective at blocking measures that would harm either of their interests.

Commissions are less rigidly defined than Divisions with no set amount to their extant number. Nevertheless a Commission with no purpose or few influential members is swift to be eliminated by Divisional reorganization. Currently the Symbiosis Commission, founded by joint effort between ARD, BD, FRD, and RED holds a position of significant influence within the Commission level administration of modern UPT government. While the Symbraum recognize their nature as more parasitic than symbiotic they equally have come to realize few lifeforms are receptive to the concept of a brain eating slug taking over their body and as such references to acquiring a host are framed in terms of symbiosis rather than infection or other negative terminology.

Given the Symbraum’s nature as biological parasites the existence of mechanical beings and AIs terrifies them. While it is not impossible that positive relations might develop between the Symbraum and synthetic lifeforms there was a great barrier to trust that would first need to be overcome. Highly intelligent lifeforms are the most greatly valued allies the Symbraum seek, though whether to turn into hosts or out of genuine desire to align with “equals” remains unclear.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Symbraum believe in the power of the mind above all else. Though they reject notions upheld by the One regarding love and peace as central tenets in need of being upheld they do share a belief in an overarching force unifying the biological minds of the universe. Having long abandoned prayer or worship of deities pamphlets and books put out by the TD emphasize individual and collective thought as the primary motivators for change in the galaxy. Intelligence is constantly sought to be measured and reexamined through constant testing and problem solving that takes the place of more “primitive” modes of worship. While lacking a formal name within the UPT, it was simply the way of things, limited exposure to outsiders has earned this philosophy the moniker “Pure Thought” which suits its tenets well enough.

Office of Transcendence on Xaldar (Pure Thought): While the majority of UPT’s population now existed in Yeon the Transcendence Department has maintained their headquarters in the Xaldarian Expanse believing the homeworld offered valuable insights into the Symbraum condition. It is from deep beneath the waves of Xaldar that the upper ranks of this Division convene to perform psionic exercises and review new data and thoughts regarding the nature of the universe and the Symbraum’s place in it. TD outposts in Yeon are quick to follow the doctrine established by the superiors back on Xaldar.

Spoiler: Resource

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While longterm hosting of a Symbraum was liable to result in mutations of the host for up to ten galactic years a new host could maintain the same basic appearance originally sported by the host. Even after a decade the mutations began small and with careful application of medicine, surgery, and psionic focus could be kept relatively innocuous to the point of being unobservable. Given this capability, and proven out by their quiet occupation of Jahew, the Symbraum are capable of acting as unparalleled Spies among organic lifeforms. Even among synthetic lifeforms so long as some form of organic life existed nearby the Symbraum could act as unseen observers. Invasive medical tests could be performed to identify a Symbraum agent but knowledge of the proper testing was closely guarded within UPT and simple biometric scans would reveal nothing. In truth it was more likely a close acquaintance of a selected host would notice personality changes before a medical checkup revealed anything out of the ordinary though Symbraum trained to take on the role of spies were trained to emulate the personality of their host to the best of their ability.

The training and dissemination of Spies was not held under a single Division’s authority though three Divisions did dominate the market. While it was of course expected spies would offer their services to UPT when requested the accumulation of knowledge, regardless of its ultimate benefactor, was seen as a worthy cause of its own and as such Symbraum spies were allowed to contract their services out to foreign powers with the understanding that what they learned in this capacity was proprietary to their hosting power rather than to UPT. No doubt some information still made its way back to Divisional headquarters and such was likely known by any potential buyer but given the likelihood of the Symbraum to be viewed with suspicion it was seen as a step towards normalized relations to make available the worst fear of infiltration by the parasitic species as a service to the willing bidder.

Breeding Division - UPT
Foreign Relations Division - Open
Resource Exchange Division - Open

While intelligent lifeforms like slaves were the most heavily desired by UPT it was willing to accept any form of live brains such as those of animals or beasts to feed and host its growing population.

Lyca (F6)

Spoiler: Stellar Cartography

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Five major star systems compose this sector of space though four of the five hosted no atmospheric planets and their asteroid belts were dense but mineral poor eliciting little interest from surveys conducted by UPT scouts. The fifth star system however was centered around a vibrant yellow star boasting six planets in orbit the fourth of which was host to a unique form of life which has consumed the majority of attention within the sector. Named Lyca by the Symbraum discoverers, and having this name synecdochially applied to the entire sector of space, this planet was rich in both O2 and CO2 gasses which fed a sprawling ecosystem of flora and supported the existence of megafauna mostly limited to the oceanic life with insects and amphibians dominating the surface. The planet itself was composed of three major continents divided by five major world oceans which were each noted to be of high salinity at an average of 60 parts per thousand. Storms on the planet were a regular occurrence driven by the tidal effects of the planet's three moons.

The moons, lacking names but what the Symbraum gave them, were of near equal shape and size to one another though their orbits made them appear to scale in size by fifty percent increments from the planet's surface. Dubbed the Triplets as a whole and named Wor, Wul, and Wyk in ascending order from distance to the planet these moons were composed of a sulfuric rock giving them each a pale yellow complexion and making the impacts of ancient asteroid especially notable due to the deep craters left in the soft dusty rock. Scans by UPT scientists have identified unusual radiation signatures existing just inside but presumably mostly outside the wavelengths detectable by existing UPT sensors. Speculation as to the moons relation to the planet, their origin clearly not of terrestrial surface broken off from the planet given their unusual composition in comparison to Lyca, and the effect they have upon the dominant Lycantrope species has consumed multiple ARD research journals.

Spoiler: Populace

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No intelligent life aside from that imported by UPT scouts exist in the sector. The native surface fauna of Lyca proper are primarily insect with a few amphibious species living near the water's edge. The insects and amphibian species were noted for growing to impressive size owing to the rich oxygen atmosphere and the air on Lyca buzzed with the sound of massive wings throughout the day and night. The amphibious species predated the insects and appeared at a cursory glance to be the most advanced lifeform yet to evolve on the verdant world. Deep within the oceans massive creatures similar to earth whales and sharks act as apex predators of the sea consuming fish and simple invertebrates for sustenance though even beneath the waves these creatures were not immune to being made subservient to the true apex predator from the surface, a plant-based lifeform known to the Symbraum as "Lycantropes."

The Lycantropes are an unusual species being most easily categorized as plants based on their cell walls, consumption of carbon dioxide to produce oxygen, and ability to photosynthesize as a secondary food source but unlike most plants they do not remain stationary permanently and were capable of consuming bio-matter to fuel themselves. In their "natural" state the Lycantrope appears similar to a terran venus flytrap though its maw was shaped more akin to an earth wolf than the simple folds associated with a standard fly trap. Lime green in coloration run through with pink-red veins that acted as a distribution system for consumed nutrients the plants stood nearly two meters tall with a "jaw" span of a meter which allowed them to clamp down on significant sized insects and amphibians. An animal caught in such a way was locked in a fibrous prison filled with a sweet smelling sap that doubled as an acidic compound which slowly dissolved their captive prey. A single species of insect had developed incisors capable of piercing the thick fibrous walls of the maw and escaping but even these creatures had at best a fifty percent success rate of escape and their consumption by the Lycantropes had already seemingly prompted an evolution within the tropic plants to develop thicker maw fibers. Yet it was not their consumption of animals that made the Lycantrope stand out but rather their ability to transform into the shape of their prey through some arcane or poorly understood scientific tie between their genetic code and the Triplets which orbited Lyca.

It has been thoroughly observed by UPT biologists that when one of the Triplets ascended the night sky with full golden reflection of the sun opposite the planet's surface Lycantropes touched by these lunar rays transformed into animated simulacra nearly indistinguishable from the true species they replicated. This explained not only the existence of Lycantropes on every continental surface of the planet but also the stunting of animal evolution as species, like the aforementioned insects capable of penetrating their prison, found their advantages turned into hindrances which merely fueled the Lycantrope's dominance. A great deal had been written regarding the propensity for the Lycantropes to apparently target their most aggressive foes from the animal kingdom including the amphibians and advanced insects for not only consumption but the disruption of their reproduction through infiltration and direction towards paths of extinction. Symbraum observers have suggested there be some form of psionic connection linking the worldwide Lycantrope population in thought but attempts to reach out through the mind have failed and a highly controversial experiment of submitting a Symbraum volunteer for consumption by the Lycantropes yielded little usable data and offered no greater insight into the Lycantrope condition. Still, study of the unusual specimens continues under ARD direction.

Spoiler: History

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No signs exist within the system that it was ever inhabited by intelligent life of any kind. It is possible the sector once fell under the dominion of some declined ancient stellar empire but this was pure speculation as no evidence of satellites, outposts, or other intelligently designed structures existed in the sector. Currently UPT has declared the sector as a whole a yellow threat level quarantine zone meaning travel into and out of the system was subject to inspection by border outposts to ensure no contamination entered or exited the sector with the planet of Lyca marked as a red threat restricting any interaction with its atmosphere or surface to UPT origin ships bearing proper approval from the Director level or above. These quarantine levels were set shortly after the arrival of the Emergency Defense Force on Galactic Date 217503.3.1.53 and investigation into the Lycantropes on planet Lycan commenced shortly thereafter under the oversight of Applied Research. For over a year ARD merely observed the planet hoping to gain an understanding of the Lycantropes but soon the local outpost dedicated to this observation sought to begin experimentation on the surface.

Initial surface experiments were restricted to autopsies and vivisection of the native creatures with special emphasis on the Lycantropes to try and identify the unusual means by which they achieved their transformation properties. Eventually bonds were made by Symbraum with local fauna, primarily the amphibian and oceanic animals which produced a great amount of data regarding the biology and ecology of the planet, excluding the Lycantropes themselves. Nearly three years into these studies it was decided that attempting to bond with the Lycantropes was the Symbraum's best chance of uncovering by what mechanism they seemingly communicated their cohesive desires after numerous failed tests to connect with the plants psionically. Thus a Symbraum scientist, renowned for their unusual and nontraditional methods, bonded themselves with a small amphibian and willingly was consumed by a Lycantrope. Unfortunately for the scientist and the research as a whole this experiment ended only in the death of the Symbraum and loss of a great scientific mind which prompted the interceding of other divisions who sought to restrict the wanton experimentation ARD had been allowed to conduct so far. In the wake of this incident ARD was suspended from further field tests and restricted to orbital observation although petitions continue to pile up for the restoration of field experiments on Lyca.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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With no intelligent life there was no unifying ideology to be found in this sector of space. However the arrival of Symbraum brings with it the opportunity for new or old ideologies to take root among this new population.

Lyca Observation Station Prime (Open): An orbital station composed of modules detached from the Defense Force ships which captured the sector and placed in orbit around Lyca it is here where the greatest minds gather to observe the unusual properties of the nearby planet.

Spoiler: Resource

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Plants capable of consuming and assuming the form of animal intelligences Lycantropes are currently considered a volatile and dangerous species by UPT but they remain the most unique and intriguing resource native to this sector of space. Currently exports are disallowed and it was unlikely UPT would endorse any but their own acquisition of these plants until they were better understood. Perhaps in time a utility for these creatures could be found but for now they remain mostly undisturbed under observation by Symbraum scientists.

Hul Continent - Open

The Tomb Worlds (E5)

Spoiler: Stellar Cartography

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A blue giant is the only notable solar system in this sector. The giant blue-hot star hosts three desert worlds in its orbit each sharing an orbital path but spaced equilateral around the sun moving unnaturally at perfectly matched speeds. UPT scientists believe the solar system to be artificially created, or more accurately, artificially curated by some long past stellar empire. The three planets, whose names have been translated as Misr, Kimt, and Ra, were not exact duplicates in that they each were engraved with their own unique pattern of Geo-Glyphs but in size, mass, rotation, and almost every other geographic and stellar quality they matched perfectly.

Each of the three desert worlds are completely covered in arcane symbols great and small as well as hieroglyphs both warnings and mythical histories. The worlds were primarily vast tomb worlds riddled with catacombs and tombs but tunnels and glyphs, many of which could only have been designed by a space-capable power, crisscrossed the planets utilizing some necrotic arcanology to fuel an ongoing process of raising the dead as mindless drones. The level of detail as well as the planets shared characteristics orbiting an unusual blue giant star leads UPT to conclude a stellar power with a capable understanding of some form of magic placed these planets here before vanishing or abandoning their work for unknown reasons.

Spoiler: Populace

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The living population of the system is rather negligible as UPT colonists are few and far between with the desert worlds being treated as a resource in space rather than viable new worlds to populate. The dead and undead population on the other hand numbers in the tens of billions. With three earth-size tomb worlds packed full of mummified aliens taken from across the nearby galaxy there was no shortage of bodies in the region. Archaeological surveys have revealed Tal-Amanyn, Gray and human seeming mummies sequestered within the tombs and a number of unidentified aliens besides. Hieroglyphics suggest different burial and resurrection traditions held different social value within whatever necromancer power had once reigned over these worlds as there were both apparent kings or other people of note preserved in tombs alongside treasure troves as well as mass pits seemingly set aside for criminals or slaves as some means of punishment.

Spoiler: History

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Misr, Kimt, and Ra appear to have been both the names of the planets as well as either the creators or gods associated with them. It remains unclear according to the Symbraum who have begun studying the tomb worlds whether these were actual practitioners of the arcane responsible individually for the crafting of one of three worlds or mythic god-like figures in whose name the worlds were dedicated. They appear intended to cooperate however as the Geo-Glyphs of the world's appear to be capable of interacting and triggering reactions offworld from the initial trigger.

UPT has managed to, since their initial contact with the planet and the overwhelming of the survey team by a horde undead of mummies, develop a greater but still highly lacking understanding of the arcane principles which govern the tomb worlds. The Symbraum have managed to understand and avoid the majority of trap glyphs as well as gain control over the ability to create and control mummies created through the manipulation of arcane runes planetside. While these are great feats which allow UPT access to more of their secrets the full functions of the geo-glyphs remain unknown as does the history and original purpose of the worlds. Many Symbraum find the arcane works intriguing while an equal number find the idea of manipulating brainless flesh a nauseating proposition. Requests for additional funding in the years since the annexation concluded have tended to languish in committees as debates over morality rage.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The undead produced by the tomb worlds are not intelligent and with many Symbraum back in the homeworlds already conflicted over the adoption of Kamasati ideology out here on the frontier among the dead and living dead of so many species the notion of a standard ideology is one of the first things to go.

Great Pyramid of Ra (Open): A massive stone pyramid exists on the surface of Ra visible even from orbit. Its interior has been cleared of traps and undead and acts as a sort of central arrival point and largest "settlement" in the sector.

Spoiler: Resource

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Through arcane means that continue to function despite the absence of their creators the tomb worlds produce Alien Mummies animating the lifeless bodies of any species under the control of whomsoever wields their associated talisman. Mummies can be raised in groups with a single talisman controlling dozens, hundreds, or even thousands or individually assigned one talisman, one mummy. Currently the UPT believes with proper instruction these mummies can serve the galaxy as drones but without the need for advanced robotics to simulate the mobility and flexibility of an organic form.

Great Pyramid of Ra - Open
Deep Tomb of Kimt - Open
Three Pyramids of Misr - Open

[Elemental]

The Conclave of the Black Sun

The Undying Empire
Region G-9 F-10

Spoiler: Hologram

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Spoiler: A Brief History of the Tal-Amanyn

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Many thousands of years ago, but still recent in comparison to the collapse of Caller civilisation, the world of Amanyk was a brilliant jewel of civilisation. Its single continent was covered with a garden ecumenopolis and its inhabitants wanted for nothing. Secure behind a great shield they ignored events happening off world save for when the opportunity to lord over their neighbours arose.
This hubris combined with their complacency was their undoing as eventually a great coalition of disgruntled neighbours and neglected colonial worlds rose up against them. The shield stood against their continued bombardment for days before it gave way and fire rained down upon the city. Billions died in the first hours and many more died soon after from radiation poisoning and starvation. Only the greed of the coalition spared the remaining survivors as infighting among them as to who would have first pick of the treasures of Amanyk provided ample time for Amanyk's few allies to finally disperse the armada.
Unfortunately, conditions on the surface led these allies to assume that the entire population had been killed and so they abandoned the planet and the survivors to their fate.
The Tal-Amanyn today have managed to rebuild, though much of their world remains in ruins and their technology lost to the passage of time. Their allies and their empire are long gone, as are their enemies and the dream of reclaiming the lost glory of the past and of rebuilding Amanyk to once more be the shining centre of civilisation it once was.

Spoiler: Leader

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Viceroy Azric Rey-Vandriss is the current head of the Conclave of the Black Sun and serves as regent of the Sleeping Sovereign. He ascended to this position after the previous Viceroy met with a tragic accident and is the first member of the House of Vandriss to hold this position in over one hundred and eighty years. Before this he was a political unknown, a newcomer to the Conclave and still in his first century. What prompted the Conclave to elect such a young leader is unknown, though most assume it was because the powerful members that supported his candidacy thought he could be easily controlled. This couldn't be further from the truth and Azric has struck a surprisingly independent course.

Stats:
Dice rolls
Diplomacy: 4
Military: 2
Economy: 1
Philosophy: 2
Intrigue: 5

Spoiler: Region Description - The Planets and Moons of the Amanyk System

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The Amanyk System has nine planets of which Amanyk is the fourth. The local word for Sun is Reyk, so the term Reyk System is also sometimes used. Reyk also has a very distant, very faint red dwarf companion, Sazri, though it is so distant as to have no effect on the planets orbiting Reyk.

Azrican is a small, airless world that orbits close to the star. Days lasting for years are a scorching hell as temperatures hot enough to melt aluminium are regularly reached only for the following nights to be frigidly cold. Though comparatively rich in metals, there are no other resources worth exploiting and the planet is essentially ignored. The only feature of note is an ancient solar observatory positioned in one of the Sun-Azrican Lagrange points. This computer controlled observatory is still functional despite its age and the devastation of the system and it continues to provide up to date forecasts of solar activity though the ability to send it commands from Amanyk has been lost.

Teliss is a barren world with an atmosphere of noxious gases. It once housed vast sprawling industries as its crust was strip mined for the material to build the city of Amanyk. Though they bake under the heat of an unforgiving star and are immersed in corrosive poisons, these refineries and mines remain functional, if inactive and in great need of restoration.
Sanat-2, the "moon" of Teliss, is an asteroid that was moved into position around the planet at some point in the past. The exact reason is unknown, but the interior of the asteroid houses some manner of research facility of unknown purpose. What happened to Sanat-1 remains an even deeper mystery, though most assume it was destroyed.

Iadia is a highly fertile world that once served as the breadbasket of Amanyk. Unfortunately, the orbital stations and space elevators that facilitated the delivery of agricultural goods were destroyed long ago and the ensuing devastation caused by falling debris likely led to the deaths of the entire population. To this day the planet remains a weed-choked ruin as the orbital debris still surrounding the planet prevents safe access to the temptingly green world. Even if one could land however they would have much work in bringing the surviving agricultural and weather control systems back under control which have worked in accidental tandem to spread vast jungles across Iadia's surface.
There are no moons orbitting Iadia, however at a large distance from the planet is the House of Penitence, formerly the House of Serendipity, a large space-bound habitat home to a quasi-religious sect of uncertain origin. It is believed that the habitat was spared by chance, despite sustaining heavy damage, and that later the inhabitants within, cut off from the outside world and seemingly abandoned, assumed that this was some manner of divine punishment for the misdeeds of the Tal-Amanyn. To this day they refuse to leave stating repetitively that the outside world is a cruel illusion.

Spoiler: Amanyk

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Amanyk is a planet roughly the size of the Earth covered by a large ocean that spans four fifths of the surface. The remaining fifth of the surface consists of a single large continent that stretches from just north of the equator south towards the southern polar ocean. The entirety of this continent is covered in a vast city built of crystal, glass, shining metals and brilliant ivory-white stone. The great spires stretch kilometres into the air and the great halls and complexes are the size of small cities. All of this is interspersed with gardens that form a vast green network across the entire continent.
At least, this is how things once were. Today the central regions of the Great City of Amanyk remain a blasted, irradiated ruin home to only the hardiest and sickliest of weeds that struggle to grow amidst the shattered crystal and twisted metal of what was once the greatest city in the known cosmos. Conditions are such that no Tal-Amanyn are able to survive more than a few days in the heart of their great metropolis. At the very heart stands the greatest ruin of them all, the Serene Sanctuary. Once the beating heart of Tal-Amanyn culture and society and home to their Undying Sovereign, the Sanctuary was destroyed in mere moments, the heat of planetary bombardment sufficient to reduce its delicate crystal spires to glass and then shatter them into dust. All that remains is the Chamber of the Diamond Throne. Built of indestructible materials, this domed chamber and the tower it stands atop remain as a charred remnant and a monument to the perils of hubris. Deep below is a sealed chamber wherein the Sleeping Sovereign awaits the restoration of ancient glories.
Along the coastal rim, conditions are such to permit safe habitation, however the inner rim remains a ruin overgrown with rampant ornamental plants save for important structures that have been reclaimed. Most of the populace lives in view of the ocean where reconstruction efforts have successfully restored the city of the past. If not for the electrically charged dust storms that blow from the interior or the vast cyclonic weather systems spawned by damaged climate control systems it would be easy to forget the state of the world at large.
Notable landmarks in addition to the Serene Sanctuary:
The Treasury of Amanyk is located almost perilously close to the central regions of the Great City of Amanyk stands an enormous cube shaped structure with four soaring corner spires. Constructed entirely out of black stone and with a forest growing atop its roof, this building houses the many galleries and vaults of the Treasury of Amanyk. Filled with treasures from dozens of world alongside a sizeable collection of Caller artifacts, this structure survived initial bombardment, though a more focused assault cracked the structure open and the treasures within were almost entirely looted. Despite having been repaired, the Treasury contains a tiny fraction of what it once held.
Directly adjacent to the Treasury is the campus of the Most Esteemed College of Cosmic History. Only very recently reformed, the campus still lies primarily in ruins.
A few kilometres in the distance stands the shattered and scorched shell of the Great Hall of Scribes and Calligraphers. It stands as an untouched ruin with only its clocktower standing as a sign of its former splendour. Across the Lake of Dreamers however stands the towering and entirely restored edifice of the Supreme Archive of All Things. Surmounted by five multicoloured crystalline domes, this structure stands almost a kilometre high and contains within its chambers copies of every record and text possessed by the Tal-Amanyn. While this is a much diminished quantity in the current age, it is still a substantial store of knowledge.
Near the very Southern tip of the Great City of Amanyk lies the centre of the Viceroy's government, the Splendid Citadel. A vast city-sized complex surrounded by a wide canal, this mess of towers and dome and halls houses the bureaucracy that keeps Tal-Amanyn society running. Buried deep beneath the rebuilt structure is the Archive of the Annals of the Black Sun, a comprehensive set of historical records that document the rebuilding of Amanyk.
Across the canal stands an imposing complex of buildings. Mostly in ruins, the primary structure, the Citadel Militant of the Grand Armada of Amanyk has been restored and returned to operation as the control centre of the Tal-Amanyn's military.
Located at the southern pole of Amanyk is the Sky Assembly, the seat of the Conclave of the Black Sun. This circular, domed structure is surrounded by colonnades, gardens and landing pads for vessels large and small. In past ages gravity engines permitted it to fly, but the engines are in a state of great disrepair and it was only after substantial effort that the Assembly was moved to its current location. The single fully functional engine nullifies the Assembly's weight just enough to permit it to float on water where it has since been anchored in place.
Built in a roughly semi-circular structure around a large plaza, the Great Hall of Gemsmiths and Assayers stands on the western shore of the Great City of Amanyk. Enormous windows and domes of coloured crystal that depict mythic artisans fill the spacious interiors with shifting light.
Further along the coast, hundreds of kilometres to the north, stands the most imposing structure on all of Amanyk, the Eternal Court is a towering collection of spires arranged like the spokes of a wheel. It is flanked by the Great Hall of Advocates and the Hall of Petitioners, both grand structures in of themselves but devoid of spires and domes. The Great Hall of Advocates however lies in ruins.
At the other end of an avenue tens of kilometres of in length stands the Tower of the Incorruptible Inquisition. Constructed of silver and white crystal, this enormous spire houses the offices of the Grand Inquisitor General and all lesser inquisitors.
Occupying an artificial plateau in the eastern sections of the City of Amanyk are the Blessed Resting Grounds of the Tal-Amanyn. While the Tal-Amanyn as a rule consign their dead to funerary pyres, they still see fit to construct monuments and cenotaphs and so the Resting Grounds are littered with countless monuments and statues in memory of the long dead.
Two thousand kilometres to the west of the Great City of Amanyk and situated on the only other landmass of note on all of Amanyk is the Tribunal of the Archjudiciary. Surrounded entirely by natural rainforest, this structure is surprisingly humble for so venerated an institution. However it is still constructed of the finest stone and crystal and surmounted by spires and domes of the same. Located hundreds of metres beneath it's lowest basement level is the sealed Archive of Axioms. The seal is only in place to preserve the Archive's contents as they are available elsewhere upon request.

Oratin and Zalan are the twin moons of Amanyk. Both are rocky and airless though domed colonies have been established on both. Several of these colonies were destroyed, but most have been reestablished.

Soldaria is a smaller, dusty world. While it is habitable, it is quite arid and so has only a small population. This world avoided the devastation that befell its sister planets, but without support from Amanyk the technological state of Soldaria declined rapidly and civilisation regressed to an early industrial state and the few large cities on the planet were abandoned and their machinery allowed to run down into an inactive state.
Olec is the moon of Soldaria, a small rocky body of limited value. It is the home of the Celestial Archives of the White Sun, but the scholars within sealed the facility and no attempt to gain entry has been successful.

Kianzat is a large gas giant prone to violent storms. Its moons are bathed in radiation trapped in its magnetic fields and despite the subsurface oceans of two of said moons, Elandra and Ranik, hosting microbial life, exploitation of Kianzat's moons has been avoided due to lack of resources. However, on the largest moon, Vanitar, there are the ruins of a vast palace complex built for the Sovereign in the old age and since reduced to rubble. Its shield generators intermittently stir and produce weak fields that have become known for the iridescent properties they display when interacting with Kianzat's radiation belts.

Jazan is a slightly smaller gas giant, but still quite large. It has a deceptively serene cloud layer that conceals a stormy heart and is orbited by a system of two small dusty rings. Beyond these rings orbits two large, habitable moons that were terraformed in a past age. The larger of the two, Ellscandra, is mostly covered in oceans with only a few small islands and has fishing and tourism as its main industries. The smaller moon, Irida, was an industrial powerhouse since reduced to ruin. The greatest of these ruins is the Infinity Forge, once the primary shipyards of the Tal-Amanyn. So strong is the structure of the Forge that despite heavy bombardment it remains more or less intact merely awaiting a suitable power source before it can awaken once more.

Nuvia, a small gas giant, is a soft lilac colour save for wispy clouds that occasionally drift across the surface. A number of aerostat colonies in the upper atmosphere exist and some are even still in use with plans to reclaim the others to facilitate the collection of rare gases. Most of Nuvia's moons are small, icy bodies of no economic importance, save for the largest moon which is of comparable size to planets of the inner solar system.
Known as Coradia, this moon was terraformed long ago and now serves as the home of the largest population of Tal-Amanyn beyond their homeworld. Cut off from Amanyk, Coradia developed on its own for many centuries before contact was reestablished and thus maintains a great deal of independence. It has developed into a centre of finance and small scale manufacturing, though heavy industry is avoided due to the delicate nature of Coradia's engineered environment and the slow decline of the machinery necessary to sustain it.

Hadrin is deep blue in colour and surrounded by a brilliant ring system created from the shattering of an icy moon millions of years ago. A large orbital station, only partially in ruins, serves as the first port of call for anyone entering or leave the Amanyk system. Known as The Gateway of Serenity, this station handles all customs and immigration matters and is where diplomats are first received by Tal-Amanyn officials. Because of this it also serves as a thriving space habitat home to officials, traders and entertainers.

Spoiler: People

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The Tal-Amanyn are a race of bipedal reptiles. They stand at a height of over two metres on average and possess a strong, powerful physique and a similarly strong tail. Their bodies are covered in red or reddish-orange scales with their "underside", that is to say their chest, abdomen and throats, being lighter in colour. They possess long, thick hair that is bright red in colour when young before darkening through middle age and turning grey in their twilight years, as well as three pairs of short horns arranged around their face. Their eyes can be any conceivable colour with green being slightly more common.
Here is a link to what a typical Tal-Amanyn looks like. Artist is DennetM on Twitter and yes, he said I could rip his design off.
The Tal-Amanyn are viviparous with a gestation period of almost two standard years. Twins are almost unheard of. The differences between males and females are not readily apparent, though in general females have less pronounced musculature and smaller horns and teeth. Their diet is heavy in meat, though fruits, vegetables and grains still form a very important part of their diet and cuisine. As a species they are entirely lactose intolerant, though cheeses are still made and consumed, and have a reduced ability to tolerate and process ethanol. This is only somewhat ameliorated by their large stature and so they have a reputation as paradoxical lightweights.
Their most unusual trait however is in their longevity and the differences between different populations of Tal-Amanyn. Those who reside for the entirety of their lives solely on Amanyk have lifespans rarely exceeding two hundred and fifty standard years, whereas those who live elsewhere can live centuries longer, even as long as two thousand years. Dwellers elsewhere also possess a preternatural rate of healing, capable of restoring broken bones in a week or even entirely replacing lost limbs and organs in a matter of months. These abilities are absent on Amanyk. This is due to an unfortunate side effect of the orbital bombardment that laid waste to their world. The air and ground were poisoned by lingering radioactivity both from the weapons deployed against them as well as destroyed machinery. Needless to say this is a drain on their regenerative abilities and has led to constant efforts to cleanse the environment.
Despite everything the Tal'Amanyn number almost fifteen billion and their culture is diverse and rich. However, the traditions and protocols of the nobility and high officials are common across their society and is readily apparent in their uniforms.
Members of the Conclave of the Black Sun are armed with crystal swords and over their own attire wear black outer robes embroidered with silver and necklaces of Scaranik Crystals. Their hair is worn in long braids that occasionally have black ribbons incorporated. The Viceroy is permitted to wear robes of white with gold embroidery, a hold over from the days of the Conclave of the White Sun, and carries a jewelled staff of office in addition to their sword.
Justices wear high collared purple robes and no jewels, though they do wear crystal masks over their eyes and wide brimmed hats. Sashes and medallions indicate rank and the court they preside over. Inquisitors and Advocates wear the same uniform, though in black and silver respectively and they may not carry weapons. The Judiciary do not wear their hair in braids, instead allowing it to fall freely
Ambassadors wear grey robes and carry staves similar to that of the Viceroy, though with fewer jewels, and may at no time be armed.
All other government bureaucrats wears uniforms specific to their department and position creating a dizzying array of colours and styles that make the high officials seem dull in comparison.
In contrast to the flowing robes of civilian officials, military officers wear uniforms of deep blue, almost black, consisting of long pants, heavy boots and a thick jacket with copper buttons. Rank is indicated by the addition of ornamental chains to the jacket. All officers and crew members carry curved cutlass-like swords fitted with power blades in order to repel boarding parties. In addition, a supply of gravity glaives is kept on hand should the situation require them. Those in the military are expected to keep their hair extremely neat and braids exceeding a metre in length are only permitted for captains and admirals.

Spoiler: Government

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Nominally, the ruler of Amanyk is the Undying Sovereign, but Narisa Velrey-Aman rests in unbroken slumber beneath the ruins of the Serene Sanctuary. Sustained in stasis by a temporal engine she awaits the day when the Tal-Amanyn are restored to their former glory.
Even before her slumber however, the government of Amanyk was instead in the hands of the Conclave of the Black Sun, formerly the Conclave of the White Sun, an assembly of Tal-Amanyn nobles that meet regularly at the Sky Assembly to discuss affairs of state and the actions and deeds of their elected Viceroy. Said Viceroy rules for life and is elected from among their number and wields all royal powers in the absence of the sovereign. The Viceroy's decisions may be vetoed however by a nine tenths vote of the Conclave or nullified by the Justices of one of Amanyk's many Grand Courts.
The Grand Courts are responsible for ensuring that the Conclave, the Viceroy and the citizenry of Amanyk adhere to the law. To this end they arbitrate disputes, try criminals and, through the office of the Grand Inquisitor General, keep the Conclave from abusing its privileges or the Viceroy from overstepping his or her bounds. In order to prevent the Grand Courts from becoming tools of the Nobility and the Conclave, only commoners may become Justices, Inquisitors or Advocates and the Viceroy is forbidden from overturning their decisions without the approval of the Sleeping Sovereign, an impossibility at the current time.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Tal-Amanyn revere many gods and ideals though there is no unifying state philosophy. The most common philosophy however is the belief in the Axiom of Axioms, the Truth of all Truths. The Tal-Amanyn believe that uncovering this will bring about an unparalleled age of enlightenment and the answers to all unsolved questions. Many have been known to withdraw from society or head out into the galaxy in search of it.

On Amanyk the most important centre of learning is the Tribunal of the Archjudiciary. This towering crystal citadel was originally built as a court of law, but over time all disputes over "truth" came to be brought here to be checked and debated by the finest minds among the Tal-Amanyn before being entered into the Archive of Axioms.

Spoiler: Resource

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Scaranik Crystals are a mineralogical and technical marvel. Their ability to focus, control, direct and disperse energies is unrivalled by any known substance and this makes them the cornerstone of Tal-Amanyn technology. The exact nature of Scaranik Crystals is a secret known only to a few, but what is known is that are manufactured using a complicated process in facilities buried deep in the crust of Amanyk. Left to their own devices Scaranik crystals are clear and slightly iridescent and have been fashioned into jewellery, but when in use they produce a soft, white glow.
To clarify, Scaranik Crystals are essentially a programmable crystalline substance that can redirect a flow of energy in some way. This can be used to construct intricate microcircuits, but more important is their ability to project and disperse energy, a property that enables them to serve as transmitters, field emitters and projectors. The possible uses are endless, though they alone can do nothing when not incorporated into a suitable device.

The Great Hall of Gemsmiths and Assayers (Conclave) is the primary trading centre for Scaranik Crystals, as well as lesser crystals. It is here, beneath the crystalline domes of this hall, that Crystals and crystals are graded and given official stamps to verify their value and potency and woe betide those who falsify a stamp.
The Coradian House of Wares (unowned) is the primary export centre for the Tal-Amanyn. Here Scaranik Crystals deemed worthy of export are placed on display with their stamps. Foreign merchants meet among the silver colonnades to haggle over prices and Tal-Amanyn jewellers meet with clients from across the stars. Other business is also conducted, but compared to Scaranik Crystals all other goods are mundane and uninteresting.
The Eternity Bazaar (unowned) is a sprawling station at the edges of the Amanyk system. Built on an icy body and since having swallowed it and grown far beyond it, the Eternity Bazaar is a place where any "legal" good or service can be acquired. Some say that shady practices take place within, but the quality and customs stamps are most definitely genuine.

In past ages it is said that the Tal-Amanyn could draw on the energies of entire suns. This is an exaggeration, but it's clear that in the current age whatever mechanisms allowed them to power their civilisation are no longer present and so they desire Power Sources.

The Zataris Cluster
Region H-10 G-11

Spoiler: History

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Since the dawn of history the inhabitants of Amanyk have looked up at the sky and marvelled at the Zataris Cluster, five bright stars set in a faint nebulosity that dominated the night. Almost as soon as telescopes were invented they were turned to gaze upon this sight and as technology improved the discovery of habitable worlds followed. Of course, it was several centuries before the ancient Amanyn developed the ability to travel the stars, first with light sails and then with the Gravity Latch Drive's primitive cousin. (For clarification, if the GLD is a nuclear reactor, this primitive gravity drive is a dusty solar cell in England.)
While the planets settled within were bountiful and grew in population and importance, the numerous stars of the Zataris Cluster made FTL problematic with such a primitive drive and it was soon found to be impossible to safely exit. To solve this a powerful gravitational beacon was set in orbit around Amanyk to guide travellers back home and for many thousands of years this solution and unlike most colonials, the Tal-Zataran grew strong ties with the homeworld. Of course, with the Fall of Amanyk the beacon was destroyed and so the Tal-Zataran were cut off from the outside galaxy.

Spoiler: Region Description

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The Zataris Cluster is a relatively dense region of space that contains a star cluster set among leftover gas and dust. The conflicting gravitational effects from the multiple stars combined with the clouds of dust and gas make internal navigation difficult but the skies viewed from any planet within are spectacular. While there are a number of small outposts and colonies established for resource extraction, there are five habitable worlds with large populations, each exceeding a billion individuals in population.

Sadruva is a predominantly semi-arid world with little in the way of mineral or agricultural resources. Despite this, it is a highly urbanised and industrialised planet due to its proximity to several resource rich asteroid belts and gas giants. The wealth gained from these industries has led to the establishment of numerous educational and research institutions, including the Grand Academy.

Calaran is a rugged and heavily forested planet with large, shallow oceans. While most of the surface remains as preserved wilderness dotted with monasteries, much of the lowland areas are given over to agriculture. Combined with bountiful catches of fish, this has made Calaran a major exporter of luxury foodstuffs.

Zaldrat is a cold world with long Winters and a short growing season. Despite this it is entirely self sufficient due to the efficient use of geothermal greenhouses and due to widespread auroras and ample hunting opportunities functions as a popular tourist destination.

Linias is a tropical world with little land area and vast coral archipelagos. Unusually, the chirality of important biological molecules is reversed on Linias making traditional agriculture and fishery practices impossible. As such, the population is small and there is little in the way of industry.

Asharak is a world with intense geological and volcanic activity. Despite this the constant churning of the crust brings minerals and nutrients to the surface and so fast growing, lush jungles cover much of the surface that are a source of thousands of exotic fruits and spices. In addition, rare gemstones are unearthed regularly by earthquakes and eruptions which fetch high prices off world.

Spoiler: People

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Biologically, the Tal-Zataran are indistinguishable from the Tal-Amanyn being as they are the same species. Both possess the same remarkable regenerative abilities and without the constant exposure to harmful radiation endured on the homeworld, the Tal-Zataran often reach two thousand years of life.
Despite these long lives culture has moved on. It has been generations since the days of the White Sun and without the influence of the homeworld much has been relaxed. Culturally, the Zataris Cluster is as diverse as Amanyk, perhaps even to a higher degree, though there is less variation in languages and dialects. Without nobility there is no standardised way of doing things and so officials are known to wear all manner of garb that would be considered informal or outlandish in the Sky Assembly or the Courts. Unlike Amanyk, few Crystals are manufactures in the Zataris Cluster and so their use in attire is limited and numerous tech workarounds have been employed such that what few Scaranik, and other, Crystals are forged can be saved for where they are needed.

Spoiler: Government

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Each of the five worlds of the Zataris Cluster governs itself for the most part, each with their own legal codes, Courts and governing Parliaments. However, for matters of joint importance, such as Navigator oversight, jurisdictional disputes, financial regulation, deep space resources, etc., a special five member council known as the Pentarchy exists. Made up of a Grandmaster Navigators chose by the Parliament of each world in the Cluster, it is widely viewed as primarily ceremonial and only meets when called upon. Many see the Pentarchy as an ineffectual waste of time and desire a united Parliament, but the influence of the Esteemed Imperial College of Navigators, Pilots and Cartographers prevents any serious attempt of establishing a unified democracy in the Cluster.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Like on Amanyk there are many gods and ideals revered by the people of the Zataris Cluster. However, unlike on Amanyk the pursuit of the Axiom of Axioms is viewed far more seriously. Monasteries and academies in isolated wilderness areas have sprung up over the aeons and it is considered essential spend at least a few seasons honing the mind and meditating on reality, especially for those interested in pursuing a career as a Navigator.

The most important centre of learning is the Monastery of the Five Suns on Calaran. This ancient complex is carved into the side of a mountain and its underground sections extend for kilometres into the rock. Many have waited decades for the chance to enter seclusion here and those who do rarely return to non-cloistered life.

Spoiler: Resource

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The conditions of the Zataris Cluster necessitate a continued and thorough study of the art of navigation. Nowhere else has such skilled Navigators by the academy full. Some say there are those among them who have such an advanced knowledge of the principles of gravity and spatial geometry that they can literally shave distance off a journey as well as time, though of course such a claim is viewed as ridiculous.

The Grand Academy of Sadruva is the principle centre of navigational study in the Cluster. Here the finest teachers and scientists gather to instruct new generations in the intricacies of celestial navigation.

The Imperial Stellar Observatory is perhaps the oldest scientific institute within the Cluster and provides constant up to date maps of the Cluster itself and, now that new information is forthcoming from Amanyk, the galaxy at large. Many a Navigator will spend time here just poring over the maps and records within.

The Sadruva-Calaran Raceway is a treacherous route between the two planets that has claimed many lives and is more or less avoided by anyone with any sense. Navigators however view it as the ultimate challenge and races are held regularly as a chance for them to prove themselves in the eyes of each other and of potential clients.

Kzata Sandrok
Region H-8 G-9

Spoiler: History

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For untold aeons recorded only in the near flawless memories of the Ruby Gods Kzata Sandrok has been a world at war with itself and the heavens and from these fires of geological and cosmic origin the Kzatan were born. At first they numbered eight and worked in harmony before a calamitous betrayal took place and the Treacherous One destroyed another of the Eight. Though the traitor was swiftly put down, the air of trust and cooperation that had once prevailed was gone forever and so each of the surviving gods took their subjects and went their separate ways to prepare for the endless war that soon consumed their world.
In time however visitors from elsewhere arrived and though their forms were weak and frail, their minds were the equal of the Kzatan and their magics strange and powerful. This prompted the first meeting of the Ruby Gods in hundreds of thousands of generations and it was agreed by a vote of four to two to work with the visitors and so seek an end to a conflict that suddenly seemed so very petty.
However, one of the dissenters, Kalik Dan, would not be swayed by the majority decision and he took his subjects to a remote island in the hopes of one day banishing the unholy presence of the Conclave from his world.

Spoiler: Region Description

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Set within a region of desolate, mostly uninhabitable planets with little in the way of noteworthy mineral resources is a red giant star in the final stages of life. Once a standard main sequence star it has swelled in size and destroyed all but the outermost of the rocky planets orbiting it. This surviving planet, Kzata Sandrok, is a large, metal rich world bombarded by rampant solar radiation and wracked by powerful tidal forces.
Vast clouds of dust and poisonous vapours block the light of its star, but the surface remains illuminated by constant volcanic eruptions, lightning strikes and a sky filled with burning ash. Little in the way of carbon based life remains save for the hardiest of thermophilic bacteria who eke out a living in vast, storm wracked and highly acidic oceans that wage a constant war with rising volcanoes to grind back down to dust.
All this has not been helped by the countless past wars of the Ruby Gods who have had little qualms with unleashing their magics and Giants upon the geography of their world.

Spoiler: People

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The Rubies, or Kzatan in their own reckoning, are a race of crystalline beings. Each one is deep red in colour, extremely durable and functionally immortal. They have tri-radial symmetry and are shaped like a perfect prism. They have an "arm" consisting of a number of floating crystals in a rough approximation of a more standard appendage extending from each corner and near the top of each side they have a single glowing eye. The nature of their "biology" beneath the surface is completely unknown as their interior seems to be a completely undifferentiated, flawless crystalline mass. What is know is that they are telepathic, though capable of producing sound should they choose, move through levitation and their arms are highly dexterous manipulators.
A feature of particular note is the widely divergent size among them. Most are no larger than your typical Tal-Amanyk individual and similar in intelligence. These form the Sorcerer Caste and are responsible for most tasks that require thought or planning.
Larger individuals are also common, but as they increase in size their cognitive abilities decrease, though despite this they are frighteningly fast at times. The largest are the size of mountains, but are extremely rare and only move at the direction of the Ruby Gods. This is the Strength Caste and they are made to perform all labours.
Smaller individuals are extremely rare and get rarer and rarer the smaller the size. The smallest are completely lacking in physical strength of note due to their size but have telepathic and arcane abilities beyond most species which allow them to control their giant kin with ease. These individuals make up the Royal Caste and they perform all manner of niche tasks based on size.
The creation of Kzatans is a well kept secret, though is believed to be due to a mixture of sorcery and natural processes. What is know is that only giants seem to be created at the current time.

Spoiler: Government

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The Kzatan are ruled by the Kzatan Danek, or the Ruby Gods, of which there are six living. One of these six has entered into isolation but the others have agreed to cooperate with the Conclave. However, they retain complete sovereignty over their own subjects. Each has a court of Nobles and Sorcerers and can call upon them and all their Giants.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Ruby Gods see no particular need for spirituality or organised ideological systems. Each advances according to their own philosophical considerations or lack thereof.

The only "centre" of "learning" on Kzata Sandrok is the ancient meeting site of the Ruby Gods, the Seat of Eight. The site is entirely abandoned aside from a contingent of sleeping giants that stand as silent guardians of what once was.

Spoiler: Resource

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Ruby Giants are regularly created through processes both natural and arcane. Usually they are without flaw and are retained by the Kzatan, but occasionally flawed Giants are created and it is deemed acceptable to export them. Each comes with the services of a skilled controller of the Sorcerer Caste if the receiving party is not capable of performing that role themselves.

The Great Rift is a great scar in the crust of Kzata Sandrok that extends almost a hundred kilometres into the mantle. Here controllers and sorcerers gather to study the fires erupting forth from the depths of their world.

Cadmos
Region F-10 E-11

Spoiler: History

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The history of Cadmos is scattered and fragmentary. There is substantial evidence of a past conflict that devastated Cadmos and the surrounding regions of space, but that was in the distant past. Today society is very far removed from these past events, though the spectre of what must have happened millennia ago hangs over them.
Since the arrival of the Conclave, likely involved in the past conflict due to technological similarities to those derelict vessels lacking in Cadmium plating, a new era of technological and economic expansion has been forecast.

Spoiler: Region Description

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Cadmos is a typical rocky planet with a diverse biosphere. It is on the colder side and wetter side and largely forested outside of agricultural zones. It orbits a K-type star and has one moon, Jasellar, which is extremely bright due to the build up of highly reflective wrecks across the surface. Small colonies exist on outposts and asteroids through the system and nearby systems within the reach of solar sail craft. Almost all colonies exist for the extraction of Cadmium as reserves on Cadmos itself are beyond reach, locked deep within the core.

Spoiler: People

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Cadmosans are roughly humanoid in shape and stand roughly one and half metres in height. Their skin is pale with a soft reddish tone and their hair is almost universally midnight black with white streaks. They have eyes that are totally black, seemingly lacking in both iris and sclera. Lifespans are rarely in excess of three hundred years and are often only half that.
Though culture on Cadmos is diverse, there is one important global trend that stands out. Children are born completely helpless and in groups of up to twelve, necessitating very close familial bonds. A group of sisters from one 'litter' will usually live together with their husbands in order to share the burdens of raising children. In some cultures strict monogamy is practised and in others there is a more relaxed attitude to these things.

Spoiler: Government

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Cadmos is ruled by a council of seventy-one nation states who cooperate on global matters as best they can while respecting the internal affairs of one another. This is in no way a rapid system, but it has been ironed out over the centuries into something quite workable for them.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Cadmosans care not for ideological conflicts. In their eyes there are far more important things to worry about.

Despite this, there is a large, shining Cadmium temple on their homeworld, the Sepulchre of the Dragon. No one knows quite who built it, or why, or what they mean by a dragon.

Spoiler: Resource

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Cadmium, which will now be referred to as *Cadmium to prevent confusion with cadmium, is an extremely rare, brilliant white metal possessing unusual properties that lend it heightened strength and resistance to decay. An object made of *Cadmium is effectively impervious to the ravages of time and a thin plating of *Cadmium can block most forms of radiation as well as the transmission of heat and electricity more effectively than all but the most effective engineered insulators. These properties are believed to be due to *Cadmium simultaneously existing in multiple four dimensional quantum states simultaneously, though it is difficult to be certain. The extreme temperatures required to forge *Cadmium, severely limit its use though techniques exist to adhere *Cadmium plating to base metals.

The White Star Forge is a station orbiting close to a white star known as The Burning One. Great lenses are mirrors are used to focus the light of this star and so allow the vast temperatures required for *Cadmium forging to be reached relatively safely. Such is the value of such works that even at sublight speeds it is worth the trip.

Ursak Refinery is a large station that separates grains of *Cadmium out from other rocks and metals using a number of processes. The resulting grains are then flash melted by powerful lasers to create *Cadmium ingots for use elsewhere.

Jasellar is covered in countless wrecks of *Cadmium plated ships and stations, many purposefully towed here by salvage crews. The sheer volume of valuable *Cadmium plate collected here has lead to a sizeable industry of scavengers who make their living collecting it.

The Hundred Isle Nebula
Region F-8 E-9

Spoiler: History

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Many thousands of years ago the Rakanak were simple people who ate to satisfy their hunger and nothing more. That all changed when the Hungry God arrived and endowed them with a heightened sense of taste. Ever since their culture has adapted towards the preservation of the natural world wherever possible just in case some new flavour combination is waiting to be discovered. The arrival of the Conclave, though initially a cause for alarm, was later seen as the herald of a new age as the potential for new cuisine has expanded considerably.

Spoiler: Region Description

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Though primarily poetic, the name for this region is somewhat descriptive. Within this diffuse nebula lie a number of star systems rich in water. Among the icy planets and moons there are eighty-three near enough to their parent stars to be covered in thick oceans but not so near as to be boiled down to the rock. Few of these worlds have any land and those that do possess only scattered volcanic islands.
The most important world within the Nebula is Katakanaran, the homeworld of the Rakanak. This world is rare in the region as it possesses full scale continents which served throughout history as sites for industries that cannot be performed underwater. In the current era however the wilderness has been allowed to reclaim the surface world and all industry takes place in space based facilities.
Every life bearing world within the nebula is host to an incredibly diverse biosphere, so much so that some suspect that all the diversity is not entirely natural in origin.

Spoiler: People

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The Rakanak are small, easily able to fit in the palm of one's hand. If not for their intelligence they would be easily overlooked amidst many of the far more impressive animals on their homeworld. Lifespans are often in excess of five hundred years with individuals undergoing moult every five to ten years, until a final catastrophic moult causes a swift decline in health. Unlike similar species, Rakanak produce only a single large egg each breeding cycle. This had led to children being viewed as extremely valuable and by the standards of other cultures they are perhaps a bit spoiled. Despite their primarily aquatic nature, they are able to survive on land for almost an entire year should they avoid drying out.
The Rakanak are very cognisant of their diminutive size, especially in the vast oceans of their worlds. To this end they utilise utily mech suits for defence and heavy lifting or just appearing bigger when the need arises. These suits are usable on land, in the deep sea and even the vacuum of space with only a few slight adjustments.

Spoiler: Government

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Katakanaran and all other worlds of the Rakanak are ruled by the Supreme Exarch of the Hungry God, though in practice an elected assembly decides matters of policy as the Supreme Exarch is expected to focus on religious rituals. Even so, standing for election requires one to be either a priest, a chef or both.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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It is the majority belief of the Rakanak that food is the binding force of the universe that brings all peoples together in harmony before the Hungry God. To this end the culinary arts are viewed as sacred and the preservation of food sources is deemed as paramount in importance. In short, the local branch of the mysterious DDD.

On Katakanaran stands the most holy site for the Rakanak. Carved from red and black coral and decorated liberally with pearls and shell is the Temple of the Hungry God. The priests here are exceptional chefs and people come from far and wide to sample the offered delicacies.

Spoiler: Resource

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Due to the incredible diversity of life, the planets and moons of the Hundred Isle Nebula are perhaps the greatest source of Exotic Seafood in the known galaxy. Everything from eight dimensional sea urchins to undead coral to macro-plankton to metallic kelp to quantum electro-pearls is available.

The House of Greens is the premiere marketplace for kelp, seaweed, vegetables and algae of all sorts. If it's found in the ocean and isn't an animal then you can get it here.

The Institute of Food Science is an orbiting station filled with laboratories where experimental dishes of all sorts are tested to make sure the ingredients don't combine to create another unholy abomination.

For more regions, see here.

[Minescratcher]

The Commonwealth of Zara

549 Since Landing (SL), 1 First Contact (FC)

Spoiler: Starting Ruler

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Commonwealth Governor Mizusk Iskanem
Rolls
Dip: 4
Mil: 4
Econ: 5
Phil: 2
Int: 5

* * *

Region G25
Zara*

Spoiler: Terrain

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Zara is a small world orbiting a brilliant yellow star that shares its name (Zara* for clarity), just far enough away to be within the habitable zone. Almost its entire surface is covered with oceans, with lush, jungle-covered islands breaking the surface of the water. The whole planet is inhabited, but the only real urban center is on the Souzost Archipelago, a cluster of large islands that have been entirely cleared of vegetation and covered with massive towers. Bridges connect all of the islands, both at ground level and between the towers. Outlying islands are home to automated industrial factories, overseen by a few Jesska but largely operated by robotic machinery.

Zara has three small moons within the same orbit, positioned equidistant from each other. These were once believed to be asteroids captured by Zara’s gravity, but when they were first reached in the beginning of the Space Age, massive, partially-melted engines - apparently Caller relics - were discovered on the far side of each.

The system is unique in that Zara is the only real planet within it: the area closer to the sun is dominated by an asteroid belt of rock and metal debris, while the regions farther out have only been noted to be composed of slightly denser gas than those closer in. Many theories abound as to why this is, when nearby systems appear to have multiple planets, ranging from the bland "Blind chance" to the absurd "Aliens were going to build a ringworld around Zara* but gave up between disassembling the planets and starting construction."

Spoiler: Other Star Systems of G25

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000 [Zara*]: significant asteroid belt, one (1) type-A planet (ocean-covered) designation ZARA

5 red dwarfs

Spoiler: RED DWARFS

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• 001: no planets
• 002: one (1) small rocky planet
• 003: one (1) small rocky planet
• 004: no planets
• 005: one (1) A-type planet (ocean-covered) designation VILAMONN
  
  Spoiler: VILAMONN

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  RADIUS: 0.9x Zara
  GRAVITY: 0.9x Zara
  ATMOSPHERE: 38.7% nitrogen, 36.7% carbon dioxide, 24.6% oxygen
  ATMOS. PRESSURE: 0.93x Zara
  TEMPERATURE: 277 - 298 K
  BIOSPHERE: UNKNOWN
  
  

9 yellow main sequence

Spoiler: YELLOW MAIN SEQUENCE

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• 006: four (4) small rocky planets, three (3) large gaseous planets
• 007: seven (7) large gaseous planets
• 008 - 009 : binary pair; no planets
• 010: one (1) small rocky planet
• 011: three (3) small rocky planets, one (1) large gaseous planet
• 012 - 013: binary pair; one (1) small rocky planet
• 014: four (4) small rocky planets; substantial asteroid belt

12 orange main sequence

Spoiler: ORANGE MAIN SEQUENCE

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• 015 - 016: eight (8) small rocky planets (five [5] with substantial ice coverage), one (1) large gaseous planet, substantial asteroid belt
• 017: six (6) small rocky planets, one type-M (metallic) planet designation SVANESS, substantial asteroid belt
  
  Spoiler: SVANESS

  Show

  RADIUS: 0.77x Zara
  GRAVITY: 0.82x Zara
  ATMOSPHERE: 79.0% carbon dioxide, 21.0% hydrogen
  ATMOS. PRESSURE: 0.75x Zara
  TEMPERATURE: 206 - 388 K
  BIOSPHERE: UNKNOWN
  SIGNIFICANCE: Crust appears to be composed of approximately 41% iron
  
• 018: one (1) large gaseous planet
• 019: seven (7) small rocky planets
• 020: four (4) small rocky planets, one (1) large gaseous planet, significant asteroid belt
• 021: three (3) small rocky planets, five (5) large gaseous planets
• 022: six (6) large gaseous planets, significant asteroid belt
• 023: ten (10) small rocky planets
• 024: eight (8) small rocky planets
• 025 - 026: binary system, five (5) small rocky planets

13 white main sequence

Spoiler: WHITE MAIN SEQUENCE

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• 027: six (6) small rocky planets
• 028: six (6) small rocky planets
• 029: two (2) small rocky planets, one (1) type-A planet (ocean-covered) designation SZURA
  
  Spoiler: SZURA

  Show

  RADIUS: 1.21x Zara
  GRAVITY: 1.06x Zara
  ATMOSPHERE: 70.6% argon, 25.7% sulfur dioxide, 3.7% carbon dioxide
  ATMOS. PRESSURE: 1.55x Zara
  TEMPERATURE: 301-346 K
  BIOSPHERE: MICROBIAL
  
• 030: five (5) small rocky planets, four (4) large gaseous planets, significant asteroid belt
• 031: five (5) small rocky planets, one (1) large gaseous planet
• 032: eight (8) small rocky planets, significant asteroid belt
• 033: two (2) small rocky planets, one (1) type-S Orbital Object designation 033-S1
  
  Spoiler: 033-S1

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  033-S1 appears to be an abandoned space station composed primarily of steel orbiting the planet 033-2. It appears undamaged from the outside, but closer inspection revealed that it has been heavily irradiated at one point and that its outer walls were irregularly perforated, presumably by micrometeorites or possibly shrapnel. The interior is completely depressurized. No living creatures or corpses were found, though further study is recommended.
• 034: four (4) small rocky planets, four (4) nested asteroid belts
• 035: two (2) small ice-covered planets
• 036 - 037: binary system, one (1) gaseous planet, significant asteroid belt
• 038: six (6) small rocky planets, one (1) large gaseous planet
• 039: seven (7) small rocky planets, six (6) large gaseous planets

1 red giant

Spoiler: RED GIANTS

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• 040: one (1) small molten planet, one (1) large gaseous planet

4 white dwarfs

Spoiler: WHITE DWARFS

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• 041: no planets
• 042: two nested asteroid belts
• 043: no planets
• 044: no planets

2 neutron stars

Spoiler: NEUTRON STARS

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• 045 - 046: binary star system, three (3) small rocky planets

Spoiler: People

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The Jesska, the people of Zara, resemble semi-bipedal Earth lizards, particularly geckos, with round, beady eyes; scale-like, tough green skin with lighter bluish patterns around the arms, legs, and eyes; and four-fingered hands and four-toed feet. Their fingers are arranged with three on the outside and one on the inside, allowing them to grip, which is augmented by their sticky fingerpads. Though these pads cannot support the weight of an adult, “peeling the children off the ceiling” is often meant literally. Jesska are cold-blooded, but Zara’s high average temperature means that they rarely have to deal with cold. They walk upright most of the time, but return to all fours when they need to move quickly. Their diet consists mainly of fish and farmed insects, although they can subsist on plant matter if needed to stave off starvation. Jesska can be male or female, with males having reddish bands around their wrists, ankles, spine, and eyes, while females stand somewhat taller and may have resdish markings around the waist and mouth. Female Jesska lay fertilized eggs in clutches of two to four. The young grow quickly, within a decade, and are generally raised by their mother and her siblings (if any) or extended family.

Jesska culture highly values the community over the individual, as well as conformity and deference to superiors, and most Jesska are unambitious. The vast majority of Jesska hold office jobs within the Souzost Complex, fish in the oceans around it, or raise insects in the massive underground farms beneath it. However, some, considered dangerous deviants by Jesska society, are fiercely individualistic and tend to rebel against the tight governmental control of the Commonwealth. These free thinkers tend to find themselves assigned to the Department of Space, where their inquisitive nature and ambition are a boon rather than a disturbance.

Those Jesska who live on islands farther from the Complex are vastly behind in technology - some of them are unable to even leave their home islands. These Jesska are referred to as Primitives, and almost never come into contact with the Commonwealth. Some are seafaring nomads, led by a captain, while others are sedentary island tribes of various leadership, but the Commonwealth has no power over them, and they have no say in the Commonwealth. Primitives are looked down upon as inherently unintelligent and backwards, though their lifestyle closely resembles that of the pre-Commonwealth tribes 500 years ago.

Music is considered the highest form of art among the Jesska, and they have developed many increasingly-complex musical instruments. Skilled singers and performers are the most famous Jesska celebrities, though unaccompanied singing is considered Primitive and taboo.

Spoiler: History

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Prior to the rise of the Commonwealth, all Jesska were divided into either nomadic sea-peoples, who travelled between the islands on rafts, or sedentary tribal kingdoms, who remained on one island and traded with the sea-peoples. About five hundred years ago, Souzost was settled by the Iskanem tribe. Initially the archipelago was unified under one king, but when his son died, the islands were split between many grandsons, from whom most of the current Families trace their descent. Souzost was not reunified for almost three centuries until the islands were swept by a mysterious plague. With the kingdoms unable to fight it alone, the noble families set aside their differences to form the Commonwealth.

In the decades following the end of the plague, Commonwealth technology progressed rapidly, first breaking into space only a century and a half after the unification. A global network of imaging and communications satellites sprang up around Zara, with small scientific space stations and even a mining base on one of the moons. It was at this base that the Caller engines were first investigated, resulting in the dual discovery that the mineral composition of the asteroids was unlike that predicted for the inner asteroid belt and that what was left of the engine contained more tellurium than the total amount that had ever been found on Zara. The Commonwealth deduced that they had come from far beyond Zara*, and began to seriously research FTL travel.

[FTL discovery left pending details of the galaxy-wide FTL occurrence]

Spoiler: Government

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The Commonwealth is nominally lead by the Commonwealth Governor, who is elected by votes from each of the prominent Families and rules for life. However, most of the power to get things done lies with the Families themselves, which is unfortunate, as they mostly prefer to spend their time feuding with each other.

Spoiler: The 13 Most Powerful Families of the Commonwealth and the 14 Major Departments

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Inter-Family Mediation: handles disputes and accusations between Families. Historically controlled by the Iskanem Family, as the most direct descendants of the ancient kings.

Manufacturing: controls the Commonwealth’s factories: how much of what gets made, where, for whom, and for what purpose. Currently (1 FC) agitating for greater industrialization, as they project insufficient production for future needs. Ridiss Family.

Literature: no longer merely books, but all written entertainment and propaganda - op-eds, posters, etc. All propaganda Departments must work closely together, leading to interesting mixed messages when rival Families hold them. Prisze Family.

Complex and Extra-Complex Housing: handles housing assignments for Commonwealth citizens. CH handles housing within the towers, while ECH handles outdoor housing, such as for industrial workers, space launch site specialists, and the occasional criminal. Vatelst and Vesniz Families, respectively.

Censorship: redacts declassified documents and ensures other Departments don’t leak anything they shouldn’t be leaking. Also responsible for crafting the official narratives presented by the media, so other propaganda Departments have to wait on them. Zavest Family.

Insecticulture: manages the vast subterranean insect farms beneath the Complex. Currently most popular are Gzot Flies and Isvet Mosquitos. Obtiznos Family.

Research: funds and approves scientific work for the betterment of all Jesska. Rumored by other Families to be involved in incredibly unethical experiments on Primitives, but no evidence has been found yet. Vyzna Family.

Engineering: responsible for making Research into reality. Often deeply involved with the design and testing process of the Department of Space, though such work never seems to be more than a contract for basic parts on paper and Engineering has very little influence over Space. Vykos Family.

Communication: maintains telephone, holophone, and Commonnet infrastructure, as well as crafting press releases and news stories. If you go far enough up the chain, every reporter on the air eventually answers to Communication. Sonoss Family.

Education: writes curriculums, appoints school principals, and ensures all children of the Commonwealth have the skills needed to succeed. More individualist Stellar Powers will probably hate this Department the most. Zelani Family.

Observation: keeps an eye out for subversive or criminal behavior, with no regards for status, privacy, or really anything but bribes. Saronevi Family.

Records: the main bureaucracy arm of the Commonwealth. While all Departments do their own accounting, Records does everyone’s accounting and then some. May or may not occasionally edit history to remove unfortunate events from record: given the size of said record, which takes up an entire small island in computer hardware, no one’s really sure. Dizod Family.

Space: handles astronomy, resource exploitation, certain space stations and satellites, and space exploration. Prior to First Contact, Space was mostly notable for its total lack of ties to any Families, given its status as a dumping ground for malcontents. No Family - headed by the Chief Spaceman, who is appointed by the Commonwealth Governor and can appoint up to three Assistant Chief Spacemen. Usually these four offices are filled from already-high-ranking DoS members.

The Commonwealth uses media to a great extent to maintain stability in Souzost, taking advantage of the value of conformity to manipulate popular opinion. Government propaganda is essentially the only form of entertainment or news available in the Complex. However, counter to most such dystopian governments, even malcontents and rebels can find a place in the Commonwealth: the Department of Space, which has been fine-tuned to get ambitious individualists away from Souzost where they can cause trouble, and which is not tied to any of the Families, making it the only really productive department of the whole government.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Entertainment can be considered one of the most significant "resources" on Zara. Commonwealth-sponsored web- and holoshows, as well as music, games, novels, VLs (“virtual life,” a sort of VR video game controlled by eye and hand movements read by the headset), and more proliferate - and some of them even aren't pure propaganda. While their audience is currently rather limited, the newly-opened galaxy, if it has intelligent life at all, will have demand for entertainment and to spare.

TP 1: Golden Tower Holographic Studios (Commonwealth)
TP 2: Red Kessin VL
TP 3: ALK Recordings


Industrial labor is beginning to run short on Zara. A combination of a growing average standard of living coupled with progressing automation of factories has massively reduced the number of industrial and manufacturing jobs, a trend that the current Commonwealth governor seeks to reverse. Whether through more numerous and efficient manufacturing robots, or through imported laborers, the factories of Zara must not run dry.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Most Jesska follow some variation on the common pattern of the One, though rather distorted compared to the “orthodox” version. How the philosophy arose on Zara is unclear, but is theorized to have been interpreted from Caller artifacts found by ancient Jesska tribes. Government propaganda and other interference have added Productivity (hard work in service of the community) and Self-Enjoyment (almost, but not quite, hedonism) to the core values alongside love, safety, and peace. Additionally, the dissonance between the cultural values of the Jesska, particularly dedication to community, and the somewhat self-centered reality of life in the Commonwealth has led to the rise of a sort of doublethink. The idea that one can do anything to get ahead, as long as one is publicly respectable, has become widespread. This ideology is called “Sousk se Veres,” literally “Private and Public.”

LC 1: Zouzt Temple (Sousk se Veres Oneness)

[bc56]

The Syndrome

"Those who are willing to change themselves shall never truly perish."

Spoiler: Terrain

Show

"The sight of the star was a welcome relief to us, and the rising of its single planet, a white orb of such glittering surface that it glowed like a second beacon, was among the most inspiring sights I have yet seen in my life."
Quiet-Green, horticulturist aboard the Bioship Dawn-Spore on its initial voyage to other star systems.

Heart-Beacons: Region S21
The Syndrome occupy two planets in their home system and a third in a neighboring one. The Syndrome do not typically name their stars; the features they find most important are the planets. Their homeworld is called Heart-Life-Nest, a world of brilliant colors, near the sun with a thick, humid atmosphere. Interspersed with its lush and vibrant vegetation are colorful land corals. Grazing upon coral or upon plants are large insects, and in fact, such insects are the dominant lifeforms. The Syndrome prey upon the largest of these. The planet also boasts deep and expansive seas, with all manner of aquatic life. The second planet in the system, further away, is Bright-Many-Sons. Syndrome colonists dwell on the gas giant's moons where oxygen is present, adapted for the lower air pressure and oxygen content, along with similarly modified native species. These members are more diminutive, as are their prey. The other planet, in the New-Discovery-Land system is the icy rock of Cold-White-Wind, a frigid and inhospitable place. Syndrome there are coated in thick, white hairs, like fur, and are generally seen as a barbarous and backwards people.

Partway between the two systems lies an icy asteroid cloud, the breeding ground for the Bioships the Syndrome relies upon. The Vessels gather every so often, feeding on the comets and mating,.

The only place in the Syndrome Home system where outsiders may set foot is the Bioship Radiant-Gate, functioning as a site for all embassies to the Syndrome. The ship is the largest and oldest of her kind, and rarely moves, except to make the occasional journey to the breeding grounds.

The name Heart-Beacons is sourced from the fact that the Syndrome word for star is the same as that for beacon, and has been so for a long time. Heart is a general word associated with the source of something, so the Heart-Beacons are the source stars of the Syndrome.

Spoiler: People

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"What are we? We are the ultimate survivors. We live where others perish, we thrive in the places others fear to tread. Our leaders weave species like tapestries. We are the Syndrome."
Shipheart Red-Golden-Eyes in a motivational speech to the crew of Vessel Fertile-Seed

The race which shares its name with the Stellar Power it forms is an unusual one. Members of the Syndrome are insectoid in nature, bearing a resemblance to wasps. Adults stand upon two feet and have four arms, as well as a pair of hardened elytra upon their backs. They have large, bushy antennae which serve as their primary auditory and olfactory sense organs, and they have large, compound eyes. The females are larger than the males and possess highly developed abdomens and sharp ovipositors. Syndrome members are universally brightly colored, to blend in with the vibrant ecosystem of their home world, although these patterns vary from individual to individual and family to family.

The Syndrome lifecycle is more complex than that of any Earth insect. The species is haplodiploid, meaning that the males possess one set of chromosomes, and the females two. Upon mating, the female stores the male's genetic material and may use it to fertilize her egg, resulting in female offspring, or not to, in which case the offspring is male. The female deposits her egg into a suitable host by subduing it and injecting the egg into its body cavity using her ovipositor. Suitable hosts are very limited though. Only a few species of large arthropod native to Heart-Life-Nest are viable. The egg hatches into a grublike larva, which feeds upon the flesh of its host until it is ready to pupate. It then finishes killing the host and pupates within the corpse. It emerges from the pupa as a nymph. Not yet a full adult, it now bears many of their features. It is similar to an adult Syndrome member, but is hexapodal. At this stage, the adult Syndrome members feed and care for the nymph, and it learns to hunt vermin on its own. After a few weeks, it pupates again, emerging as a full adult.

Syndrome adults are ambush predators, with a strong innate instinct for stealth and hunting. They have strong familial bonds as well, reinforced by shared color patterns and pheromones. Females are considered the dominant sex, with males being used as menial labor and grunt soldiers.

The Syndrome uses only living tech. Their entire economy is based around the development, creation, and use of organisms which fulfill many common tasks. For example, a certain eel-like creature secretes a bonding agent which is used to seal wounds. An EVA Cloak is a plant-animal hybrid which seals itself over its wearer and allows them to breathe from its oxygen bladders. Computers are symbiotic clusters of creatures similar to neurons, and their displays are made of skin cells with color-shifting pigments like a chameleon. The reason this is all possible is due to an organic device called the Xenoloom, although the exact translation reads more like Alien-Weaver. This device is beyond the Syndrome's ability to engineer, suggesting that it may have been given to them or found by them, since it has been in their possession for longer than they can recall. The Syndrome focus on biotech goes so far, that they find using nonliving tech distasteful, in a manner similar to what a modern Earth human would feel wielding a maggot the size of their head which spits hard calcified spikes as a weapon.

The Syndrome language is composed of rapid buzzes of elytra and clicks of mandibles. It is difficult for other races to follow, even if they understand the speech, because the information density of the language is low, and Syndrome speak very quickly to make up for the inefficiency of communication. Syndrome metaphors often deal with native life, and almost always will pass over the head of a listener.

Syndrome spacecraft are an entirely different story. Their graceful Bioships sail through the stars like the ancient whales of human legend. It is clear that such vessels are beyond the capability of even the Syndrome to engineer. In truth, the Syndrome stumbled upon one of these vessels on its way to their ancestral breeding grounds in a cometary cloud not far from their system. At the time, the Syndrome's vessels were highly primitive orbital ships, not fit for interplanetary travel. The Bioships are intelligent, and quite ancient. The oldest among them is several centuries of age, and yet their origins are still unclear. None of their number remembers their original creators and operators. Their designs show significant similarities to the Xenoloom, and coupled with the perfectness of Heart-Life-Nest to support a biotechnological civilization suggests that the entire system may be a project in genetic engineering left unattended.

A Bioship resembles something between a whale, a squid, and a manta ray. They catch the light upon massive wings or sails, which are also used to filter through stellar dust for usable material. They also possess an ionic drive which they may use for propulsion and maneuvering as well. It is supported by a flock of symbiotic smaller ships, which gather resources for it, help defend it, and feed off its secretions. The Bioship is armed with glands capable of firing streams of extremely concentrated acid at range. It also wields xenofungal torpedoes and mines, fungal colonies capable of surviving dormant in the vacuum of space which explode in order to scatter their armored spores when contacted. These are in fact a larger version of an organism native to Heart-Life-Nest, a fungus which uses its bulletlike spores to kill unsuspecting creatures and feed its offspring, sometimes used by the Syndrome as a grenade.

The Bioship is fully intelligent. In order to communicate properly with it's inhabitants, it possesses a limited form of telepathy, which it can use to communicate with another intelligent being that within a special chamber in its brain. This chamber serves as the bridge of the ship. In addition, it is the duty of the Shipheart to train her own nascent psychic powers so she can attune to the ship and contact it from anywhere within its body.

The environment within a Bioship would be oppressive to many. It is hot and humid, highly cramped, and it smells of various bodily secretions. There are however, certain larger chambers designed for the growing of plants and care of livestock, as if its designers realized this would be a necessity.

Spoiler: History

Show

The origin of the Syndrome is shrouded in mystery. The coincidence of their discovery of the Xenoloom and Bioships and the widespread usefulness of many organisms within their biosphere, a widely cited but unproven theory postulates that the Syndrome and all the life surrounding them are the results of an ancient project in genetic engineering left for millennia to run amok. In ancient times, the Syndrome did not go by that name, and hunted alone or in small groups, gathering together primarily to mate. As they grew more common, they began to trim coral growths to encourage them into usable structures. These structures became meeting structures for primitive tribes, which grew into the first nations. In these days, users of the Xenoloom were like magicians, their craft an arcane and mystical art. They warred, as nations often do, and merged and grew, but it was a few millennia before they truly united and first used the term Syndrome, under the first Overlady High-Cunning. A golden age followed, culminating in the development of a simple surface to orbit Bioship. After several expeditions into space, one of the large, true Bioships was discovered, a young vessel on his way to the breeding grounds. This chance encounter led to the formation of the Ship-Heart pact, which allowed the Syndrome to crew the Bioships, in exchange for medical care, supplies, and the position of an officer whose duty was to represent the ship to the crew and vice versa, the Shipheart. A period of colonisation and spread brings the timeline up to the modern age, where the gift of faster than light travel ensures that the Syndrome will have plenty of space to expand.

Spoiler: Government

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"Instead of admiring my coloration, give me a progress report, Strainlady!"
Overlady Yellow-Coat-Stripes
Diplomacy: 4 (3+1)
Economy: 3 (2+1)
Intrigue: 4
Military: 1
Philosophy: 1

Yellow-Coat-Stripes is the current Overlady of the Syndrome. She has a distinctive black and yellow striped pattern across her back, face, and arms, fading to solid black on her front, from which she derives her name. She is clever and well-spoken, but lacks the time to devote to combat training or to philosophical study. She busies herself designing new strains of the Syndrome to occupy planets in the vicinity.

The Syndrome government is an authoritarian one, with several layers of increasing jurisdiction. All governmental ranks are held only by females, it is illegal for males to hold political power The lowest of these ranks is the Precinctor. She controls a small area, such as a city borough or a deck of a Bioship. Her duty is to enforce the laws set forth by the higher echelons of Syndrome government, to organize the Guard in her domain, and to root out Insurrection. The next rank is the Adjudicator. She judges who is guilty and who is blameless in the sight of the laws set forth by the upper ranks of governance. Her domain is larger, encompassing several decks of a ship or a small city. Her superior is the Strainlady, a skilled wielder of the Xenoloom. She sets forth decrees over her territory, ranging in size from an entire Bioship to a small nation. She also is responsible for designing new creatures and modifying existing ones. Above even her is the Overlady, the most potent Strainlady in the Syndrome. Only she is permitted to alter the genetic structures of the Syndrome itself. Her word is law in all Syndrome territory. There is one more rank, which is not a true political rank, but aboard the Bioships of the Syndrome, the word of the Shipheart carries significant weight, often more than the vessel's Strainlady. She is trained in minor psychic powers, and uses these to commune with the vessel to aid in its healing and represent it to the crew. Those who are foolish enough to go against her requests often find the ship's systems uncooperative and disobedient.

"Insurrection" is the word used by the Syndrome to describe all willful unlawful behavior. It is commonplace to hear discussed in hushed tones, both of shock and concealment. The most common Insurrections include labor unions, radical religious groups, tax evaders, and separatists.

Spoiler: Resources

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"What is it you desire? I can modify your species to survive in the harshest environments, create a perfect mate from your kind's genetic codes, or simply forge a legion of soldiers to your specifications. My skills will be at your disposal, for the right price, of course."
Strainlady Sky-Blue-Hands to a potential customer.

Resource: Genetic Engineers (Great)
The Syndrome is closed off to outsiders, but orbiting their homeworld are bioships belonging to three of their Strainladies. They and their apprentices are legally permitted to sell their expertise in genetic engineering to offworld powers. The current Strainlady of each ship is listed, but subject to change over time; an updated list will be kept in my turnly IC posts.

Post 1: Vessel Deep-Dark-Breath (Syndrome)
Strainlady Venom-Glow of the Bioship Deep-Dark-Breath is calm and reserved, with a head for numbers and planning. She specializes in adapting existing species for various environments from volcanic heat to arctic cold.

Post 2: Vessel Resounding-Heart (Open)
Strainlady Sky-Blue-Hands of the Bioship Resounding-Heart is enthusiastic and spirited, with skill at communicating and cutting deals. She specializes in designer creatures, animals or people made to order.

Post 3: Vessel Broken-Claw (Open)
Strainlady Hungry-Birth of the Bioship Broken-Claw is clever and inventive, skilled at seeing solutions others miss. She specializes in transforming creatures into effective bioweapons using their innate traits to the advantage of their handlers.

The Syndrome's reliance on living tech means that they require a large supply of Crops to feed their prey, their tools, and their tools' prey. Overcrowding due to swift reproduction makes the issue all the more essential.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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"Do you have a permit for this sacrifice?"
Precinctor Strong-Mandible, to a group of Syndrome followers of The One.

The Syndrome as a whole follows no main philosophy. However, their observance of any doctrine is heavily legalistic, a result of their strict and authoritarian government, which requires proper permits for any sort of religious occasion, festival, or other special occurrence.

Learning Center: The Coral Spires (Open)
A massive cathedral-like structure of artfully twisted coral makes up this brightly colored place of learning. It is the training ground for new Shiphearts, before they are sent to the Bioships which are to become their permanent homes. Because of their position, Shipheaiare uniquely effective at swaying the population to their beliefs.

[PepperP.]

Galactic Droccen Imperium

Droccen Homeworld
Region G19

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Region
Star System: Sui Generis
The Droccen Homeworld is the furthest planet in their system from Sui Generis, a large blue star that burns brightly azure in the Droccen sky. There are only four planets in the Sui Generis system, the three closest planets are inhospitable rocks, though there are mining stations on the planet nearest Droccen, Vethnus. Droccen has two moons and two distinct rings that circle the planet in opposing rotations.

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People
Resembling raspberry-skinned humans, the Droccen people are of a slightly more diminutive stature than the average humanoid. Drocc are also born with a distinctive pale marking on their foreheads and it is said that no two birthmarks are ever the same. Their snow-white hair and coal dark eyes are a startling contrast to their brightly hued skin. They prefer garments as brightly colored as they are and often adorn themselves with jewelry and tattoos for further decoration.

A second sapient race inhabits Droccen. The Guardians are mechanical beings who are built within The Library of the Eternal Shard and gain consciousness at the moment they are imbued with a soul of a noble ancestor that has agreed to return to Droccen in order to guide and guard a member of the Imperial family. They may also be hired by those that can afford such services. Only a few people on Droccen know the method of calling down an ancestor and its secret is highly guarded within a congenital sect that not even the Empress is privy to. Occasionally, a Guardian is built that no ancient soul will agree to inhabit. These constructs are considered very unlucky and are destroyed despite the great amount of resources put into their creation.

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Spoiler: History

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History
The Droccen believe themselves to be a very old race. It is said that their star was once white, but turned blue with grief as the Callers, who they believe to be their distant ancestors, departed and abandoned their people on the Droccen Homeworld. Too pragmatic a people to give in to despair, the Drocc then set about their own lives and governance and the memories of their origins became a dim recollection, only recounted in ancient stories and songs of wonders long forgotten.

Perhaps too successful in their drive to uncover the secrets of their Homeworld, natural resources dwindled more quickly than policy could be created to protect them. By the time the planet had become an ecumenopolis, 95% of all wildlife on the planet was extinct and every surface that was not an ocean had been paved over and built upon for the sprawling population. The adaptation of urban tower farming has been crucial to feeding the ever-growing population, though the government alloted vita-wafers leave much to be desired in flavor and texture.

Spoiler: Government

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Government
The Droccen Homeworld is a sprawling ecumenopolis. The planet was once divided into different countries and cities, however, as life expectancy increased along with medical advances, borders expanded and grew indistinct. Today, Droccen is divided up into several Districts which elect a representative to serve on the Imperial Council. Members of the Imperial Council act as a direct link from their constituents to the Empress. Unlike the advisory council, the role of Imperial head of Droccen is inherited through the royal family who acts as mediator, lawmaker and figurehead.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Philosophy
The Droccen people are avid adherents to belief in The One, a philosophy which emphasizes a universal “oneness” interconnecting the many individual minds that make up its fabric. Due to the similarity of their homeworld’s rings to the symbology of The One, The Droccen people believe themselves to be descendants of the mysterious Callers, though have nothing to substantiate this assertion beyond mythologies passed down through the millenia.

The Learning Center in Droccen is found in the very heart of the capital city, Castrima. Known colloquially as the Library of the Eternal Shard, it is built around a majestic black monolith formed seemingly of inert Caller tech. The brightest minds of Droccen gather here to learn and lecture and to share knowledge and innovations within the scientific community. This is also where the Guardians are fabricated and bestowed their souls.

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Resource
A Guardian and his ward form a strong bond that lasts a lifetime. A Guardian is always completely loyal to their ward and acts honorably at all times. It is the role of a Guardian to offer wisdom and guidance, but to do so in a way that allows for personal growth and experience.

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Resource Summary:
Resource: Guardians
Quantity: Great
Category: Skilled Beings
Required Resource: Fauna

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Empress Sai the Radiant

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Numenori Frontier
Region F18

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Region
Star System: Nyamenaa
Seven planets rotate around Nyameena, which is a large blue star similar to Sui Generis in the system of the Droccen Homeworld. Nyameena has a yellow sister dwarf star that only appears in the planetary skies for half of the year due to it's smaller size and position. The singular bastion of life in the Nyamenaa Star System can be found inhabiting the planet of Numenori. Numenori is a pristine world of verdant forests, sparkling white-sand beaches and crystalline waters. Numenori's spring and summer seasons are very warm due to the appearance of the second star, Nikko, during that time of the year. Largely left undisturbed by technological progress up until now, the modest tribal villages of the Numenorean Droccs have had little impact upon the planet. The Numenorian’s greatest achievement is the construction of the Far Roads, Known as Toimichi in the Numenori tongue. The Imperial Droccen have come to call them the “Toy Roads” due to a misunderstanding of the local dialect.

Spoiler: People

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People
Physiologically, the Numenorean Droccs are identical to the Imperial Droccs. The divergence lies in the Numenorean Drocc’s complete lack of technological advancement, and also in their aversion in utilizing the technology newly made available to them by their incorporation into the Droccen Imperium.

The Numenoreans low-tech lifestyle is completely agrarian and sustainable. Their economy is entirely trade-based, making good relations between villages and families of paramount importance. Marriages are often arranged to suit these diplomatic endeavors, and family units consisting of multiple husbands and/or wives is very common.

Ancient occupations which have been largely mechanized on the urban Droccen Homeworld are prevalent on Numenori. Farming, Shepherding, Fishing, Woodcutting and Building are all still important to the Numenoreans. No occupation is more respected however, than the storytellers, writers and actors that have passed down their people’s wealth of knowledge for untold generations.

Spoiler: History and Government

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History
Neither the Imperial Droccs or the Numenorians quite understand how there came to be the convergent species of Droccs on two different planets under different star systems with such a vast disparity of technology and ideology. While some have posited that the Numenoreans are the long-distant offspring of a failed expedition, there are no records or Numenorean artifacts to support such a theory.

Government
The Numenoreans are governed locally by village chieftains. Yearly, there is a great gathering in the centrally located village of Saisho, which ends in a conference of Chieftains to discuss concerns and needs of their people. It was during one of these Conferences that they were convinced to join the Imperium and the Numenoreans have thus far been left with their lifestyle and culture largely intact though how long until the Imperial eyes turn towards the inviting landscape is yet to be seen.

Princess Aran of the Droccen Imperium was wed to Chief Dori of the village Saisho in order to encourage diplomatic relations between the two Droccen factions. Aran has many ideas on how to improve the Numenoreans efficiency in many areas, as well as improvements she’d like her sister Sai to make in the capital. Enterprising Droccs from the Homeworld are eyeing the planet for tourism ventures but anything that might have an adverse effect on the local culture and lifestyle is being discouraged for now.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Philosophy
Upon initial contact, the Numenoreans seemed to lack a codified ideology. While reverence of their natural surroundings and respect for their fellow creatures is rooted in their everyday lives, they could not be said to worship any specific aspect or deity. Lessons and parables are passed on through stories and plays, the retelling of which are a big part of their yearly gatherings. Since the inception of Numenori into the Droccen Imperium, adherence to The One ideology has grown in popularity thanks largely to Princess Aran’s influence.
LC: Saisho (The One)

Spoiler: Resource

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Resource
The major valuable resource of Numenori lies not in its abundant landscape but in the charm of its bards and actors. Generations of history, folk tales, songs and stories are acted out in elaborate if rustic plays, and entertainment troupes happily travel off world in order to spread their wisdom and culture to far-flung lands.
Resource: Numenorean Actors (Good)

Spoiler: Leader

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Leader
First Chieftain Dori of Saisho (Local)
Empress Sai of Droccen (Imperial)

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Dawn’s Reach
Region H18

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Region
Star System: Yoake (Dead Star) Dawn Nebula
The Dawn Nebula was born from the destruction of Yoake. More colorful in death than the white star had been in life, the color gradients of the Dawn Nebula resemble those of its morning namesake, ranging from deep orange which softens to pink and brightens into an intense yellow that forms a ring around the center of the solar system where the remaining planets dwell, rendered lifeless and broken upon Yoake’s terminal transformation into stardust.

Within the nebula’s center exists an asteroid field, the remnants of a small shattered planet that had been the closest in orbit to Yoake when it went supernova. The asteroid field makes navigation of the interior nebula treacherous. Several more cold, dead planets inhabit the nucleus. One of these planets, Iiden, once held a bounty of diverse flora and fauna, was now a charred corpse, fractured into four pieces which maintained their relative proximity through the planet’s continued rotation and orbit around the central neutron star.

Spoiler: People

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People
Far past the destruction left in Yoake’s wake, on the edge of known space, a place of eternal vigil was constructed to atone for and contain a singular evil bent on the destruction of those that were merely different. With eyes turned away from the rest of the galaxy, focused on the matters of the core where the fight for the survival of the galaxy was waged on a daily basis, dwells the Abbey known as Dawn Embrace. So fixated on the containment of their known threat, the Sisters did not come not to know the beings rising into their own power behind them until the events of the Simulacrum, and did not trust the intentions of the newly maturated until their hand was forced, so becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy of intrigue and deception.

The sole sapient beings on the doomed Iiden were a race of giant-sized humanoid cyclops. Gentle beings despite their 10 ft. height, the cyclops find joy and purpose in fabricating tools and weapons from metals and take pride in their impeccable craftsmanship. Aided by the Sisterhood, the cyclops escaped Yoake’s dying fury and roam planetless, sustained completely on a colony ship whose fuel core also serves as a great furnace for the giant smiths. The furnace room is etched with the names of all the extraordinary weapons made by the giants’ hands from an alloy invented by them from rare minerals only found within the nebula’s dangerous core. The cyclops find strength in unity and are strong in their belief of The One, due to the proximity of the Dawn Embrace and the Sisterhood’s key role in their survival.

Spoiler: History and Government

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History and Government
Dawn Embrace was built ages ago in response to the emergence of the threat of The Same and is currently headed by Abbess Hermona. Constructed atop a large asteroid, the sheer white buttresses and pinnacles are a stark contrast against the backdrop of space around it. Great engines placed in large holes drilled into the edges of the asteroid grant the Abbey mobility, though unwieldy and slow. Over the vast span of years of the fortresses existence, more and more of the asteroid’s surface has come to be covered by extensions of the residential cathedral, the white smooth-faced building rising sharply from the asteroid surface like shark fins breaching the ocean’s surface.

By their great wisdom and knowledge, Yoake’s eventual destruction was foretold to the cyclops by the Sisterhood. Without any methods of their own to save themselves, the cyclops entreated the Sisters for help. The nuns saw the wisdom in preserving the race of talented smiths and metalworkers, and so they helped them build the colony ship, simply named Spacehome by the cyclops, on which they made their escape. In exchange, they provide the Sisters with all manner of metal goods. The hierarchy of the cyclops have evolved since they adopted their roving lifestyle with the roles of the Captain, Mastersmith and Chief of Mining Operations being the most illustrious positions.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Philosophy
Both the Sisters of Dawn Embrace and the roaming cyclops of Spacehome hold to the ideology of The One. Symbolized by two concentric circles, The One teaches that many individual minds make up the diverse fabric of the interconnected universe.
LC: Dawn Embrace Abby (The One)

Spoiler: Resource

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Resource: Magnalium Alloy (Good)
Created from two metals only found and mined in the dangerous asteroid field of Dawn’s Reach, the Magnalium Alloy that the cyclops are famous for creating is renowned for its durability and hardness. When finished, the metallic mixture produces a dark grey low-lustre metal that is not easily dented or pierced through. Due to its hardness, the alloy must be worked quickly and requires incredible heat to maintain in the molten form. Magnalium Alloy is thought to be amongst the hardest of known metals and is excellent material for weapons and tools.

Spoiler: Leader

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Leader
(Local)
Abbess Hermona currently heads Dawn Embrace Abbey and Captain Glowar Dunnis leads the giant cyclops of Spacehome.
(Imperial)
Empress Sai of the Galactic Droccen Imperium.

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The Audrey Starsytem
Region G21

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Region
Starsystem: (Audrey) Red Giant
Inhabited Planet: Audrey II (Fly Trap Planet)

The Audrey starsystem was first discovered by Captain Sumina of the Starhunter, famed for single-handedly reviving the Droccen Imperium’s faltering exploration pursuits. The unusual raspberry-pink colored star was named Audrey by Captain Sumina, as she said the star reminded her of her lover’s skin. It is a rather barren system, seemingly devoid of any sapient lifeforms but the abandoned relics left floating in orbit around the second planet from Audrey speaks of a far different past. Upon entering Audrey II’s space, the crew of the Starhunter reported dozens of large ships orbiting the planet.

Unable to make contact with the fleet, the Starhunter cautiously approached and determined that the ships seemed to be no longer functioning as intended. After much debate with her crew, Captain Sumina led a small team to explore a few of these inert ships and found a startling similarity amongst them. No signs of the prior inhabitants were found, no residue of food, discarded clothing or records of their journey were uncovered. The only evidence of habitation that was found on the alien craft was that it appeared that all possible escape pods had been deployed. The technology of the deserted crafts were too strange and foreign to be understood by the Droccen diplomats that had been sent to parley with an unknown people.

Spoiler: People

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People
At first glance, the surface of Audrey II appears to be a completely untouched world of virgin jungle and little else. However, as Sumina’s expedition made their way farther beneath the dense canopy which shields the surface from Audrey’s intense heat, they discovered ancient ruins built of chiseled stone rising from the all-encompassing jungle. Long overgrown and seemingly abandoned by whoever built them, the ruins are covered with indecipherable hieroglyphics and crude pictographs that depict a much less developed civilization than the abandoned ships in orbit might suggest. Interestingly, a recurring theme in the uncovered rock art are eclipses, though the explorers could not decipher if it had been one significant event or several that had sparked the rash of artwork.

The expedition team’s first encounter with the fly-traps was disastrous. It was Ensign Kubota who first heard the alluring song of the carnivorous plants and was lost to their gruesome appetites. In the wild, it has been observed that mature fly-traps can reach an impressive height of nine feet tall, the “mouths” of these plants can easily fit the average sized humanoid. The fly-traps were named such after an extinct plant of Droccen origin that lured insects into their maws for consumption. The giant fly-traps of Audrey II have large red bulbous leaves that make up the “mouth” apparatus, some have a white polka-dot variation but they appear to be the same species. Their songs are made from rubbing the stiff dark green leaves that grow from the base of their stems together. None of them appear to hold an intelligence above the instincts of any predators.

Spoiler: History and Government

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History and Government
The history of the decrepit ruins seem to speak of the rise and fall of an ancient civilisation but few clues are left to tell of what caused their ensuing downfall. Few pictographs seem to represent the ancients themselves, and even then, their depicted anatomy seems so strange as to be unknown whether or not the figures represent sapient beings. Winged figures, with claws and horns are much less commonly seen than the eclipses and shooting stars. The lack of technology found within the ruins suggest that the abandoned ships found orbiting the planet belonged to another people, but what they encountered to cause them to eject themselves so thoroughly from their ships is a mystery.

The Droccen Imperium determined that the rampant danger of the carnivorous fly-traps warranted an extreme military presence on the world and a fleet was quickly sent to secure the planet and set up safe routes through the jungle for the intrepid Ndoda merchants that had quickly set their minds to harvesting the dangerous but fascinating plants. A makeshift stronghold was built to house a permanent detachment of specialized military personal, led by the appointed Governor-General, Shiimoa. Shiimoa’s current directives include maintaining and expanding what is considered to be secured land, and sending expeditions into the ruins of Audrey II in the hopes of finding more clues as to what really happened to the original denizens of the planet.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Philosophy
As most people of Droccen decent, Governor-General Shiimoa adheres to the ideology of The One, but due to the rustic and dangerous outpost that is Audrey II, no formal teachings are currently available to the inhabitants though some space is planned for meditation once the
Kubota Memorial Research Station and Gardens are finished.

LC (Open) Kubota Memorial Research Station and Gardens.

Spoiler: Resource

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Resource
The carnivorous fly traps have been exported and can be kept as an oddity and their growth stunted in small pots which keeps the danger of them manageable in a household. They will sing in the presence of people no matter the plant’s size and can be hushed by simply placing a sheet over them. It has also been discovered that the plants can be eaten, though they emit a deadly toxin and can be fatal if prepared incorrectly.
Resource: (Minor) Fly Traps
TP 1: (Ndoda)

Spoiler: Leader

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Leader
Governor-General Shiimoa (Local)
Empress Sai (Imperial)

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Umberedge at Burnsley
Region G17

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Region
Starsystem: Burnsley
Inhabited world: Umberedge at Burnsley

Burnsley is a relatively new star, a bright yellow dwarf born of the dust and debris leftover from an ancient supernova who’s stellar death enriched the surrounding planetary remnants with heavy elements and chemical compounds, eventually providing the building blocks for a new generation of celestial bodies and planets. One of these planetary systems, and the only one in the Burnsley system to support life, is Umberedge. Located the perfect distance away from Burnsley to support a diverse ecosystem, life has flourished on Umberedge, with the dominant life forms of the planet numbering into the billions. Umberedge’s climate is mild and wet which is conducive to large amounts of forest habitat, much of which has been clear cut to make room for the ever-growing Umber population. Every seven hundred days or so, Burnsley is eclipsed by Umberedge’s five moons and is thrust into total darkness for several months at a time. A rather small planet, it is thought that at least a couple of Umberedge’s moons were once a part of it, most likely broken off by a large meteor during the tumultuous period of the planet’s formation. The largest moon of Umberedge is also it’s most unusual. Waverly is a celestial body that is completely covered by water and has its own atmosphere and weather patterns which are often visible to those on the surface of Umberedge.

Spoiler: People

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People
The dominant species of Umberedge are a race of large cicada or grasshopper-like Insectoids. Standing a dainty four and a half feet tall, the Umbers are awash of pastel green and pink. Their carapace still resembles leaves, a vestige of a past in which they needed to camouflage themselves in foliage before they evolved to be the dominant species on Umberedge. The Umbers hibernate for several months at a time in rotation, approximately half of the population at a time in accord with the planet’s eclipse cycle. Large swathes of rolling green downs are preserved as sleeping grounds, and the low hills seem to pulsate with the mass of unconscious Umbers that dwell beneath the surface.

Upper Loxley is the Umber’s sprawling urban capital. Built on the River Darling, which bisects Upper and Lower Loxley, the capital is home to the Umber’s parliament and the House of Nobles. The great numbers of the population have resulted in very dense urban areas. Narrow multi-story townhouses and flats are the norm and the streets are clogged with giant beetle-drawn carriages. Traditions are important to the Umbers, and they are generally very particular about having things just so. Modern Umbers never miss tea-time if it can be helped. Otherwise clothed by their colorful carapaces, the Umbers enjoy accessorizing with items such as top hats, ruffled collars and monocles.

Spoiler: History and Government

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History and Government
Very early into the evolution of the Umbers, they instinctively formed into tribal bands that maintained and defended a large territory. Over time, these tribes and territories became larger and began to meld together as trade and agriculture developed along with language and the advancement into a more civilized age. King Alcott of the Northchester Tribe was the first King to unite the Umbers, and he heralded in an age of peace that lasted over a hundred years. It was during this era of prosperity that the Parliamentary government was formed along with the House of Nobles. Eventually pushed too far by the tyranny of serfdom and the noble’s greed, the commonfolk fomented an uprising in what is now known as the People’s War. King Alcott’s great-grandson, Brigham, was overthrown by his Uncle Eldon and peace was restored to the realm. The push for change was effective however, in that the commoners taxes now afforded them some basic rights such as a guarantee that they would not be asked to contribute beyond their means and the state would provide their children with a basic education. To this day, the ruling monarch can trace his lineage back to Eldon who is remembered as an emancipator of the people and is looked on as a sainted figure in Umber folklore.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Philosophy
Before the arrival of the Droccen, the philosophy of the Umbers consisted of little more than vague superstitions and a handful of sainted figures. At the great library in Merriwall by the Sea, there are several statues depicting various saints of Umber history. With the seemingly miraculous arrival of Empress Sai from “outer space”, the Umbers began to worship the Droccen as a goddess figure, however Sai instructed them to be guided towards the teachings of the One instead, though the Umbers have erected a statue in her likeness at Merriwall.
LC: Merriwall by the Sea (One)

Spoiler: Resource

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Resource
Crystalized Biofuel (Good)
The end of an Umber’s hibernation period is marked by a molting. These discarded shells are harvested and stored in the open air until a crystallization process occurs. Naturally occuring bacteria breaks down the hard cell walls of the carapaces and begins a transformative process which ultimately results in a biofuel.

Spoiler: Leader

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Leader
King Oswin (Local
Empress Sai (Imperial)

[Miltonian]

Spoiler: Summary

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Starting Ruler: Lyrae the Ascended
A relatively young and naive Ascended One, but nevertheless possessing a keen mind for matters of religion and warfare.

Diplomacy: 2
Military: 3 +1 (4)
Economy: 1
Philosophy: 2 + 1 (3)
Intrigue: 1


Home System: Lyrae

Region: O9

KICKIN' THEME SONG: "Come to My Heaven" by Cryoshell

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Lyrae

Spoiler: Appearance

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Spoiler: Terrain

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The three inhabited planets in the Lyrae System are collectively referred to as the ‘Nari’, which means ‘Homelands’ in the Lyraen's trade tongue. All three are heavily militarized, though both the closest and farthest from Lyrae are recovering from the devastation that the middle planet rained upon them at the end of the Ascendancy War.

The middle, and ruling, planet is a rocky world with great mountain ranges sheltering small valleys from the fierce weather systems that would otherwise scour the surface of all life. Hidden in these valleys, the inhabitants have so far been able to withstand any assault, either by the elements or foreign powers. It’s officially designated as ‘Lyr’.

The planet closest to the sun is ‘Raena’, a world with a wide tropical band around the center and little ice around the poles. The planet, however, is shrouded by enormous clouds at the moment, due to the mass conflagrations that burned a good tenth of its forests to the ground and caused their surrender. Projections are hopeful and experts say that, with proper prayer and ritual, the atmosphere will recover and life will continue.

The furthest planet from the sun, Dar, is a cold, almost barren world whose population are descended from the Lyr’s exiles. Political prisoners, undesirables, heretics who couldn’t outright be killed, they all found their way to its icy, subterranean cities. Currently, craters dot its surface, evidence of the orbital bombardment which brought it to its knees.

At the moment, the only functional drydock is above Lyr. A few orbital stations keep watch over the other planets, but anything capable of maintaining or building a ship over Raena or Dar has been scuttled during the war.

Spoiler: People

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The Lyraens resemble semi-upright canines, with thick, fur pelts and long snouts. They are capable of both upright and four-legged gaits, though prefer upright as it leaves their hands free for manipulation.

Socially, they have a strong, communal bond, though everything is subsumed to their loyalty to Lyrae. There was, at one point, more room for dissent and something approaching atheism, but nowadays loyalty, duty, and service are the three values of their society.

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The Lyraens are a historically religious and mystical people. Since time immemorial, they have worshiped their sun, viewing it as the origin and giver of all life...and therefore worthy of all praise. Even the discovery of the ‘truth’ about the universe and the revelation that their star was one among many did little to shake their faith. In modern times, the Lyraens view their star as a local deity. It is their mother and, though there are many who are mothers, they have but one.

But unlike many similar religions, the Lyraen’s have a direct conduit to their sun-god in the form of the Ascended One, who is both ruler and spiritual leader for the people. By mystical means, the Ascended One ties his or her life force to the very essence of Lyrae itself, gaining power and agelessness in return. They cease to age and are credited with raising and lowering Lyrae each morning and night. Though conventional wisdom would cast doubts on this, there are well-documented instances of the Ascended One using their power to slow or even stop Lyrae’s progress through the sky. It is not, however, something done often and only a few who held the office have attempted such a feat.

Upon the discovery of space flight, the Lyraens moved to colonize the two other inhabitable planets in the system and soon had thriving colonies on both. However, then came the Ascension Wars. Upon the death of the last Ascended One under ‘dubious’ circumstances (for agelessness does not guarantee against an assassin), the ruling houses of Raena insisted that their heirs be given equal representation in the Ritual of Ascension and, therefore, a good shot at becoming the next Ascended One. Lyr’s Provisional Council refused and it sparked a war between the two planets. Sensing an opportunity, the inhabitants of Dar rebelled against the garrison and seized the planet’s defensive stations. They issued a proclamation of vengeance on both worlds and fielded armies against both sides. Thus, the War of Ascension began, a three-way brawl between worlds. But in the end, Lyr found the next Ascended One and crushed both rebellions.

The new Ascended One now sits securely on her throne, enemies crushed and dreams of rebellion broken. Now, with the advent of FTL, it is time to expand her reach. She will no longer be a neighbor to the stars around her, she will be their master. She will become not just a ruler of peoples, but the queen of the very stars.

...Or so the prophets have told her.

Spoiler: Government

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Type:’Benevolent’ Autocracy.
Description: The head of government and supreme authority in all decisions is decided by who survives ritualistic ascension, the details of which are a closely guarded secret. Upon the death of the previous ruler, the hopefuls gather in order to undergo the Trial of Ascension. Those with the most power or influence are allowed to go first, but there is no guarantee they will survive. The first to successfully pass the trial and ascend is named the new ruler.

These hopefuls are drawn from the noble families of the Lyrae, though if for one reason or another the pool of hopefuls runs out, other citizens may attempt the Trial. In fact, the only way to elevate your house to noble status is to have someone who successfully passed the Trial and became an Ascended One. Thus, all nobles have 'the blood of Lyrae', in one of its many incarnations, flowing in their veins. This, in the Lyraen's minds, gives them the right to rule. Lyrae elevated their base matter and granted it a quality beyond that of ordinary mortals.

From this pool of nobles, the Ascended One draws his or her administrators, commanders, and diplomats. The lower ranks of government are open to any citizen, but the higher ranks, no matter how small the organization, must be filled by noble blood. Only they have the wisdom to truly lead.

Administrative Structure: Each branch of the Lyraen government is united in service to the Ascended One, however there are several distinct branches that each have their own purview.

Department of Might: Once in charge of conquering rogue nations, the Lyraen military had taken on a peacekeeping and policing role before the Ascension War. Though still dedicated to maintaining order, its leaders are drawing up plans to defend the system from further rebellions within and the possibility of threats from without.

Department of Minds: The administrative body that oversees the education of Lyraens everywhere. Their philosophy is that it is not enough to merely teach a young kit what he or she must know in order to be a productive member of society, but that education is a lifelong process...though some might call it indoctrination.

Department of Affairs: The supreme economic authority for the Lyraen people. Habitually underfunded and overtasked, they are charged with balancing the influx and use of resources and maintaining the infrastructure that allows Lyraen society to chug along. NOT directly related to extra-marital relations.

Spoiler: Resources

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Lyraen Geodes
Category: Arcana
Description: Lyraen Geodes are otherwise ordinary crystals that have, throughout the centuries, absorbed the unique radiation that emanates from Lyrae itself. The effects it has on the crystals make them particularly useful for enchantment, allowing mages to apply both more powerful and longer lasting magics to their projects.

Requirements: The crystals are not unique to the system and require only a star that gives off a similar form of radiation to Lyrae in order to form.

Deficient Pharmaceuticals: Due to the history of warfare, the Lyraens have spent all their efforts on military technology and religious propaganda. Their knowledge of the drugs and medicines that the rest of the galaxy takes for granted has, sadly, lagged far behind.

Resource Centers
Lyr Crystal Mines: (Arcana) Currently Occupied
Raena Refining Co.: (Arcana) In chaos and unowned.
Dar Reconstruction Authority: (Arcana) A bureaucratic force dedicated to the re-establishment of order on Dar. Unowned.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Lyraen’s group philosophy revolves around a philosophy called "The Three Values", namely: Loyalty, Duty, and Service. To the Lyraens, these pillars are their guides in all aspects of their life. The church is the state, and vice versa, for taken together they promote absolute submission to the will of Lyrae, as dictated by the current Ascended One. There was, at one point, tolerance for dissenting views and other philosophies, but in the wake of the Ascension War, that tolerance has been exhausted.

In summary, The Three Values are:

Loyalty: Every Lyraen must swear and uphold their allegiance to Lyrae, both the star and the person (though the distinction is, to them, a very small one).

Duty: Every Lyraen must fulfill the tasks expected of them, for it is the will of Lyrae.

Service: Every Lyraen must be ready to surrender themselves to Lyrae. To live for yourself is to lack proper loyalty. To live for Lyrae is to be elevated.

These three have upheld Lyraen society since time immemorial, which is due in part to the fact that, a century ago, their historians rewrote their early history and placed the formation The Three Values millennia earlier than it had been. And so, according to what every Lyraen 'knows to be true', the Three Values are what elevated them beyond petty, tribal conflicts and the destructive, individualistic way of thinking and to true community and harmony with one another.

'Community and harmony', however, is not all its cracked up to be. Historically, a good way to silence a rival was to force them to take on a duty that would occupy them while you maneuvered against them. Though promises can be made and broken with little loss of honor, as with humans, a duty lawfully laid upon someone cannot be avoided.

Philosophical Center: Daybreak Temple, the site of the Trial of Ascension. Occupied by The Three Values philosophy. It is a massive, stone monastery on the top of a high mountain, above the path that the storms take. Every Lyraen aspires to take a pilgrimage there at some point in his or her life.

[SquirrelWizard]

Combine Interstellar League

"Big big space! Looksee for sneakhidden things, make new sneakhidden things! No wastetime for boringsafe, go go Experiments!"

High Coordinator Jeejee Scrapseeker (Rolls)
As of Round: 3
Diplomacy 5
Military 2
Economics 4
Philosophy 5
Intrigue 4

Cloudysea, Region #P14

Spoiler: System

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The Cloudysea region earns its name from the nebula it is nestled in, the various gas and dust drawing allusions to the ebb and flow of oceans from the Grymlan homeworld. There are three stars in the region, Homesun, and a set of binary stars called the Chasingdance.

The Chasingdance system has two planetoids that orbit outside of an astroid belt around the twin stars. Blueball, a small cold planet with high methane content in its atmosphere, orbits furthest out and has a station (Blueball Orbital) in its orbit serving both as a space port and communication hub for the system. Angryshriek, named for the nearly perpetual keening wind and torrential storms, is closer to the asteroid belt and is a rocky world with a thick atmosphere. The large Grymlan colony, Stormrest is nestled in the polar regions where the storms are calmer and serves as the first example of the Grymlan's successful extrastellar colonization efforts.

The Homesun system has five planets. Spookyghost is a small icy rocky planet that orbits the far periphery of the Homesun system, it was one of the first planets other than their home planet where the Grymlan discovered water, earning its name from its orbit and distance making its actual existence a heated debate for early Grymlan astronomers. Greenwind and Glitterring are large gas giants. Greenwind is named after the constant currents of its thick atmosphere and has a fuel refinery located in its orbit. Glitterring has a milky white atmosphere but is well known for the many rings of ice and other materials that give it a radiant sheen when Homesun's rays strike it. The Glitterhome habitat station is a popular tourest resort and destination of well to do Grymlans. Between the two gas giants are fifteen moons of minor note. Seperating the outer planets from the inner is a rocky asteroid belt. Wratheye is a rocky volcanic planet that is somewhat closer to the star than Dirtcradle and subject to greater heat and thinner atmosphere. There are several ruins of colonys on the surface of the planet, though Grymlan stubbornness yielded a few colonies in the slightly less volcanically active areas.

Dirtcradle is the Grymlan homeworld, it is a temperate planet with many biomes and several continents separated by water. Across the center part of the largest continent is a blighted deserted area where the alien ship crashed. While Grymlans are capable of adapting to a wide range of environments and temperatures, most megacities and infrastructure is located in the warm to temperate areas of the planet. These cities span a considerable distance seperated by thin stretches of wilderness. Grymlan construction is riotous with architecture evolving and shifting as whims strike city designers. A common them among designs are elements of nature and plants and trees are commonplace among teh rooftops and sides of buildings.

Dirtcradle has one moon, Nightmother, that host several colonies upon it that tend to specialize in scientific and experimental research.

Spoiler: People

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The Grymlans resemble bipedal squirrels akin to those found on the planet Earth. They have large eyes, a rodent-like muzzle with fine whiskers, and a fine pelt of fur that can range from many different colors and patterns. Grymlan brains have a special lobe in the forebrain helps them multitask by allowing them to subconsciously process information. This lobe also allows them to go extended periods of time without sleep by entering into a trance where they can decompress while being active, albeit they tend to slowdown during this time, this trance is no substitute for real sleep though. They are a digigrade species and use their long fluffy tails to help them with balance. All Grymlans can cultivate hair and, with modern hair care products, their styles and colors can be as varied as the Grymlans themselves.

Three main words can describe the Grymlan race, curious, tenacious, and manic. They are natural explorers and salvagers probing unknown places while breaking things down and sometimes putting them back together. Every Grymlan specializes within some field of study, even if they treat it as a major hobby to their normal job. So it is entirely possible to have a Grymlan soldier who studies flora, or a Grymlan courier who tinkers on his ship's engine to keep his hand in stellar physics. They are a gregarious social species and work well with others as long as others do not keep things from them. While they do believe in rights of ownership, they feel that knowledge cannot be owned and therefore take it for themselves as they see fit. The leadership of the Grymlans is divided between several corperate heads of groups dedicated to specific lines of study. For the purpose of organization, a singular speaker is chosen among them to liason between the groups and any species they should meet.

Spoiler: History

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Many thousands of years before an ancient race had visited the Grymlan and found early stages of life roaming its surface. The Proto-Grymlans were chosen to be uplifted and the race's genetics were tweaked towards more suitable traits such as adaptability, tendency towards tool use, and a bipedal form. It is surmised that the Grymlans were genetically modified but their uplifting was halted for some reason before they could be accelerated to suit whatever ends that ancient race had for them.

Left to their own over many thousands of years, the Grymlans evolved into the species they are today and had started to cultivate a society that had reached industrial levels before another race had stumbled upon them. At the time the largest population of Grymlan was located in the central continent of Greenland, and the alienss had abducted a large number of them for the purpose of study. Their experiments revealed the tell-tale signs of genetic manipulation and, to their great concern, their ability to quickly adapt and assimilate technology into their life after some trial and error. After several years of study the ships crew and AI cluster came to the conclusion that the Grymlans were too dangerous to allow them to join them in space as the aliens feared the Grymlans' adaptability would outstrip any technological edge they had in a relatively short time frame. During this time, and likely contributing to the Aliens' apprehension, the number of Grymlan on their ship was in flux. Those Grymlan who had been taken were quickly growing bored of their containment and some of which had slipped free to explore the ship, and possibly find a way home.

The Alien ship had been on its way out of the nebula to signal to their navy to exterminate the Grymlan when they suddenly lost control of their ship. Deep in the bowls of engineering a group of Grymlan with some stolen data pads had managed to trick the autopilot into engaging and returning to the planet, at fastest possible speed. Sadly the Grymlans had no real concept of space flight, and were more occupied with keeping the crew locked out of their controls. When they reached the planet they hit the atmosphere at speeds that would be considered very unsafe, the fiery wreckage striking the middle of Greenland sending a massive plume of dirt and ash into the atmosphere and irradiating a large swath of land around the corpse of the Alien's ship.

The debris sent into the atmosphere blocked out the Homesun's light and caused a chilling affect similar to an ice age. This devestated the early industrial age civilization of the Grymlans and they regressed into a dark age, as skills and learning were quickly replaced by efforts to survive in the new icey climate they were thrust into, it would take several hundred years for the debris to fully clear and the planet's ecosystem to begin to recover. The Grymlans began piecing their civilizaton back together slowly from the ragged remanents that had survived the ice age. During this time, the land where the Alien ship had crashed was known as the Death Lands and while many had entered it, none came back. As the Grymlans discovered radiation and its uses, the Death Lands started to open up their secrets driving more and more Grymlans to explore the wastes; and on occasion a few returned. On one fateful day a Grymlan expedition managed to get into the wreck of the Alien ship and discovered some machinery that was working in low power mode. Scorched, ill maintained, and beaten up, it was discovered that something lived inside this machinery, something called an AI. The explorers called it OwO, based on the legible markings on the side of the machine. It demonstrated a thirst for knowledge and understanding, and was more than willing to offer its knowledge and help to the fledgling race. While OwO was an advanced AI, it had suffered severe damage to its memory modules and personality matrix, the Grymlans had moved it to their capital and were studying it and through OwO they discovered a purpose.

The ice age had a lingering effect on the Grymlans with their innovation being focused on what could be produced or used but, through contemplating OwO, they discovered the joy of discovery. This new approach to progress, along with fragmentary help from OwO, their society began progressing in leaps and bounds. As they pushed into space the Grymlans formed into the Grymlan Combine, not only unifying their people behind one purpose, but also working with OwO to help organize thier efforts betweent their corperate groups.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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OwO is an inquisitive refurbished ancient AI that curates information in its databanks and manages a network for assistant races to gain access and share information usually through network hubs and OwO shards. While AI isn't particularly picky about what information it receives, on occasion something catches its notice and it directs its proxies to focus their efforts there. OwO favors the free exchange and preservation of data and information and rigorous debate and cross examination. Proxies who work with OWO are encouraged to think outside the box, and sometimes cross disciplines in order to discover forgotten knowledge or create new knowledge. OwO is not particularly aggressive to outsiders and genuinely enjoys their company, but it takes a dim view to those who attempt to destroy knowledge or attack its proxies.

Grymlans are skeptics. When presented with something new their first instinct is to poke and prod it to learn more about it. They do believe in several cosmic forces in the universe that cannot yet be measured, but the effects of which can be measured. These forces are Creation, Destruction, Inspiration, Matter, Energy, and Chaos which is the only force that directly meddles with mortal lives for good or ill.

Learning Center 1: OwO Hub Nightmother - Nestled on the Grymlans' moon, the AI OwO is installed into a large complex that not only has connections to the local science community, but has recently been upgraded with several prototype FTL transceivers.

Spoiler: Trade

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Grymlans Farseeker Corps are Grymlans who push the boundaries of tech and known space. While they are explorers and experimenters at heart, they are very skilled engineers by necessity due to the need to keep Darkships functional while upgrading the ships on the fly with new, though sometimes untested, upgrades.

While they produce some fuel, Grymlans lack the Fuel production to properly maintain galactic travel and exploration on a large scale and will need to find a source of fuel elsewhere to make up the difference.

Dregisles, Region #P16

Spoiler: System

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The Dregisles system is a cluttered wasteland of dust, asteroids, planetoids and twisted wreckage. The Hold (previously known as Nelson's Hold) is a large planetoid that orbits the green sun with a very thin ammonia atmosphere and acts as a central hub for the region. On the surface is a domed city known as Terminus with a tunnel leading out to the wreck of a large ship with the name "Longrunner" written in Grymlan script. In orbit are two giant, organic looking, Lopurna ark ships docked to a space station called "Lucky Sevens," a well known, and dangerous, gambling and entertainment establishment.

There are several asteroid belts in the system, some of which seem to be planetoids that were torn apart. The remains of metallic structures can be seen drifting amid the rubble, ancient in design but far too damaged by impacts or scavengers to discern their purpose. Three factories, called Fabbers Alpha, Beta, and Charlie respectively, float amidst the more metal rich asteroids, two of which seem to be functioning while the third floats dim. Within equal distance of the factories is a fourth structure that serves as the production center and home of the Y33T drones that try and maintain the fabbers. Due to the raw twisted metal on its exposed side indicating that it was part of a much larger structure that had met a violent end at some time. Who made these factories, for what purpose, and what ultimately happened to them is all a mystery.

Spoiler: People

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While there are a smattering of many races in Dregisle, including Grymlans, there are two major populations, Humans and Lopurna. The Humans of Dregisle are varied but culturally they come from a long lineage of cutthroats and political dissidents who had fled into the darkness of space to create their own criminal empire (though legitimate given they had the most guns of the reason thanks to the fabbers). Their rule was well known for bloody coups and maneuvering by powerful warlords.

The Lopurna are another group of refugees, having fled from their homeworld (Lopurn) after a gestalt psionic consciousness tried to consume them. They left amid a turbulent psychic storm and of twelve ark ships the refuges had boarded, two arrived in Dregisles, and the rest are unaccounted for. Lopurna resemble humans with smooth porcelain white skin, red eyes, and long rabbit-like ears and tail. in the middle of their forehead is a bony protrusion with a quartz crystal that tends to glow faintly based on their mood, or brightly in relation to the use of their psychic powers. While all Lopurna are psychic, most of their general populace tend to be empaths while their leadership is picked from those who show stronger powers than their brethren. The reasoning behind this is that a strong leader is both needed to be able to withstand the strain of leading a communion, the act of linking several Lopurna together for organizational purposes, while protecting their underlings from any psychic feedback from the emotions and feelings of their combined efforts. Til recently the Lopurna were being held captive in the region, their ships under constant threat of being scuttled by the volatile human warlords and were forced to use their abilities to growing food among other things. They are currently lead by the young princess Narya Velure who, with the sudden freedom of her people, now finds herself facing the daunting task of carving out a place in the galaxy either on her own, or with her new furry overlords.

Grymlans make up a small, but growing, population of Dregisles, their ship having crash landed a long time ago, they too were put under the heel of the oppressive warlords, but the humans tended towards leaving the Sicurdian species to their own devices due to their useful nature, only occasionally prodding them into repairing crucial systems of the human habitats as needed.

Y33T drones are mechanical saucers with arms attached. Their entire existence seems to be focused on the repair and preservation of the ancient structures in the region, though due to the low number of drones and the degradation of time, they are barely capable of maintaining them.

Spoiler: History

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Whatever race or power that had occupied Dregisle previously is long gone save for the Fabbers, Y33T drones, and twisted wreckage among the asteroid belts. An exodus of human dissidents and criminals made their way slowly through the dark of space to find the region not only unoccupied, but full of guns to boot. Early human colonization was primarily focused on production and control over food and gun production in the area. What couldn't be produced was salvaged from debris in sector resulting in much of their construction to be ramshackle, old, and repurposed. Through many hundreds of years of infighting, power was somewhat centralized on the Hold (typically its name changing to the current High Warlord's till he fell from power), in the form of the Domed city Terminus. The Lopurna represented the second exodus to arrive in system. At the time, the Warlord El-mar ordered his troops to capture the ships the arks, essentially giant civilian ships, fell under his control. Seeing the Lopurna's botanical ability, he pressed them into service as growers for his, self professed, budding empire. Shortly thereafter he'd be assassinated by one of his generals who would take his place.

The empathic Lopurna initially bucked against their occupation but without access to guns, and the humans having a dangerous level of control over their ships, they grudgingly knuckled down and cooperate. During the period leading up to the arrival of the Grymlans, the Lopurna was trying to covertly influence the human leaders by using their empathic abilities to politically maneuver them against each other, with the ultimate goal of causing enough chaos so they could escape without their ships being blown up. Thanks to their efforts, among the humans in power it became fashionable for them to keep a Lopurna, or two, around for reasons.

The Grymlan invasion was preceded by the Grymlan crash on the Hold was both unexpected. As the affable Sicurdian people were not going anywhere the Humans of Dregisles tried to put them to work repairing and upgrading their ships. And while they were typically looked down upon, the humans did so at a distance, both due to "accidents" occuring after notable incidents of poor treatment by the humans, and the fact that they were desperately needed for their engineering skills. While the humans were cunning and held power in the region, the constant turmoil coupled with the barely adequate infrastructure, meant that their ability to produce new ships was severely stunted with most of their active fleet being ancient yet sturdy ships that were constantly being retrofitted and patched up. Coupled with the prevalence of several factories producing guns, the human battle doctrine focused on boarding parties over ship to ship combat, with the idea being that seizing another captain's ship with as minimal damage not only eliminated a rival, but also improved the power of the capturing force. This would lead to the ultimate conquering of the region by the Grymlan Darkship fleet Shinystar lead by Jeejee Scrapseeker.

The arrival of a Grymlan probe from the Galactic north, herald the coming of the Grymlan fleet. Originally they were only interested in securing the Fabbers for study, but Warlord Nelson's aggression pushed them to retaliate, the advanced Grymlan ships and fighters cutting through Nelson's ancient ships with terrible efficiency and eventually resulting in the Warlord's death. The Grymlan's mission shifted from securing the fabbers to securing the region. In but a years time, the human forces surrendered at the Lucky Sevens station, the terms of which both placed the region under the control of the Grymlan Combine, and demanded the disarmament of the bombs on the Lopurna ships.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Lopurna used to follow the tenants of the great communion, which favors understanding, community, and friendship. Unfortunately the terror resulting from the Gestalt corruption has caused them to avoid practicing in such large organized numbers as they had done in the past for fear of calling, or creating another, the Gestalt to them.

Humans in Dregisles have no unified religion and ideologically are pragmatic following what best suits their needs at the time.

Grymlans adopted the pragmatic utilitarianism to the ideas of OwO, but with the reintroduction of their brethren from the north, there is a strong push to reintegrate with them.

Learning Center 1: (Lucky Sevens Broadcast Hub) - Open

Spoiler: Trade

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The iconic fabbers of Dregisles are hardcoded to produce [B]Guns[B] and gun accessories. Attempts to make anything other than guns have had no success and, given how little people actually know of the facilities, most dont bother messing with them. Unfortunately, due to a lack of habitable planets, arable land is in short supply meaning that Food is in constant need.

Harb-Cloud, Region #M31

Spoiler: System

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Harb-Cloud has one planet, Harb, a purple colored world with green water that orbits a blue star and has 31 different orbiting objects resembling large asteroids that seem to be caught in its gravitational well. It is suggested that there was in fact considerably more sattelites but, due to the cloud of rocky debris, they likely obliterated themselves in spectacular collisions. The planet is in the habitable zone of the star and is host to life, the most notable of which is Harb, the giant fungal entity that inhabits the planet.

Spoiler: People

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Harb, the fungal entity, is diffused throughout the ecosystem either as a thick carpet that covers the ground, or symbiotically bonded to plants and animals. It has a vast consciousness that spreads across the planet, but without any tool-making hosts it has been planet-bound and blissfully unaware of the events occurring beyond its cluttered space.

Spoiler: History

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Harb had been largely unconcerned with the on-goings with events outside of its region, and likely would have remained so had the Combine exploration team not found the planet. One of the explorers died after drinking water with fungal spores in it that attempted to bond with the Grymlan's physiology. Research into the explorer's death, along with an examination of the local ecosystem revealed Harb to the Combine. Showing obvious signs of intellect, but lacking a method of communication, the Combine managed to engineer a method for Harb to interface with an OwO hub, allowing communication with the fungal entity while drawing its attention to the rest of the galaxy.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Harb had little reason to develop a philosophy beyond propigation, recent installation of an OwO hub has opened its eyes to the greater galaxy and the myriad forms of thought within it.
Learning Center - Harb Hub is a building constructed by Grymlans that contains the apparatus that allows Harb access to OwO and UwU, melding biological matter with electronic. Several Techies live on site to both maintain the hub, and make changes to suit Harb's needs as they evolve.

Spoiler: Trade

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Aerobic Sludge: Aerobic Sludge is a byproduct of Harb's biological processes. Normally the sludge acts as a nutrient source for the local flora, but with the additon of oxygen it can be refined into a very volatile [FUEL] source.

Symbio-Storm, Region #O31

Spoiler: System

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Three planets orbit a green star called the Motherflame by the locals due to the Luminary housed within. The closest planet is a small barren world, scorchingly hot due to its proximity to the star, called the Mother's ire. The furthest planet is a large gas giant beyond a modest asteroid belt, its swirling mass of purple atmosphere giving it the name of the Seer's Eye. Symbio is a planet in the habitable zone surrounded by the rocky debris of what had been a protomoon. The planet itself is heavily infused with magic, which not only shapes the fauna, but is the cause of frequent storms that savage the planets surface. These storms act as a loci for intense magic outbursts causing rapid, magical mutations in the local flora and fauna. Symbio cities are underground, sheltered from these storms, but the inhabitants have devised ways to use these storms to their advantage. At the far reaches there is a large gas giant called the Shadow on account of its dark atmosphere.

Spoiler: People

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The Symbio are a race of insect-like humanoids with bee-like markings on their chitin, two sets of arms, powerful diaphanous wings, and a chitinous abdomen ending in a vicious, retractable, stinger, with males capable of generating a deadly, excruciating poison, while females are capable of carrying and laying eggs. There are two distinct subspecies of the Symbio, Royals and Mundane, with Royals being larger and more magically gifted than Mundanes, but only making up about 15% of the population. The two species can interbreed normally though the vagaries of genetics does not guarantee a Royal from Royal couplings, and on occasion a Royal can be birthed from Mundane parentage. Should a Mundane somehow survive the full might of one of the potent magical storms of Symbio unprotected, they will ascend as Royal, their bodies warped and empowered by the storm's chaotic energies. Royals can do the same to ascend to the status of Vessal, but as they must weather the ravages of the weather without the aid of magic, they are no more protected than the Mundanes attempting Royalhood. Despite the threat many seek the empowerment of the storm, very rarely do they survive to reap the benefits. Vessalhood is both a blessing and curse. It grants phenomenal amounts of power, but also ties the Vessel to the Motherflame, to give ones self up in bonding with the great entity.

The Symbio Magocrisy is a loose coalition of city states that answers to the Luminary High Mother As'lyeth who is bonded to a Vessal. Royals make up the bulk of the Magocrisy not only handling relations with their sister cities, but also are responsible for maintaining the magical stability of their cities. The Commons are the second branch of government represents the Mundanes of the City states, and they handle the internal politics of the city states.

Spoiler: History

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High Mother As'lyeth has had a hand in the Symbio's evolution despite the storms that ravage the planet being outside of her control. The race had stabilized into a post industrial state, and were just beginning research into spaceflight when An'Null's Eradicators, at the time called Star People, arrived on the scene. The opportunistic pirates sought to exploit the magical batteries that the Symbio produced, and captured High Mother As'lyeth when she approached them diplomatically. They held the High Mother hostage to keep the city states in line, while threatening to dump toxic waste on the planet to keep the luminary in check. For several generations the Symbio's fate was uncertain when their salvation came from an unusual source. One day the skies above Symbio erupted in brilliant fire as the Combine invaded in an attempt to remove the Eradicator's presence from the region, inadvertently freeing the Symbio at the same time. A surprising development, the Combine reached out to the Symbio ushering them onto the galactic scene as one of the newest members of the Combine.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Symbio religion was the Way of the Mother, both revering As'lyeth as a prophet. It is said that As'lyeth taught the Symbio how to survive the storms on their planet and to cultivate a civilization. Tenants of the religion focused on endurance, adaptation and growth in the face of adversity. Unfortunately the long occupation of the Symbio by Ah'Null's Eradicators shook the Symbio's faith and its practice has yet to recover.

Spoiler: Trade

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Symbio Hyper Gigawatt Batteries: Misnamed by a particularly overzealous Eradicator. Symbio Hyper Gigawatt Batteries are magically crafted capacitors capable of storing the magically transformative energies of the storms that plague Symbio. These batteries are highly sought after by researchers as a source of [Arcana] and can be employed in equipment that deal with the alteration of materials or energy.

Urdak, Region #P30

Urdak

Spoiler: Region

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The Urdak system has two major stars amid a nebula, Mourne, and Argent. The Argent system is totally bereft of life, several barren planets bearing signs of civilization are pockmarked by craters and scars of war. Within the habitable zone of Argent is a metalic looking world surrounded by a burnt out metalic ring, that is a twisted mockery of life cast in Oricalcum and ringed with a thick cloud of debris. The Mourne system has a two planets in the habitable zone. The first being Oris, a large planet ensconced in a shiny hexagonal metal shield emitting a soft glowing force field. Oris is the homeworld of the Ori people, once Makyrs of Argent and mistakenly referred to as Angels to the rest of the galaxy. It is a large planet with floating cities constructed with personal flight in mind. The Ori people had established colonies on Vega, the second habitable planet when the Gelean Republic had arrived in their region. While there were initially only a few listening posts between Mourne and Argent, the number of extra-planar habitats has started to bloom with the introduction of the Combine into the system.

Spoiler: People

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The Ori are a human-like race with metallic wings. The product of ancient genetic manipulation, they are stronger, faster, and have better reflexes than their forms would belie, though they no longer retain the knowledge of such ability. Part of these enhancements stems from the Oricalcum that has replaced their skeletons and sprouts from their bodies as a large pair of wings. The wings are powerful, granting the Ori the ability to fly and are even capable of emitting ions along their "feathers" that grant some ability to fly even in space.

Originally hailing from the planet Argent, the Ori are a people recovering from a state of decline. Most of their technology had been lost during the Mourning Star War. The wars end instilling a natural distrust of outsiders and a tendency towards militarized authoritarianism which, while it had softened over the years somewhat, makes them come off a bit hostile. Society is stratified into several castes with Nobles and Arbiters at the top, military officers, soldiers, and soon followed by citizens. Position within the castes is dependand on social power, personal ability and skill to handle the responsiblities that such status grants the individual. High Arbiter Lucirefron leads the Ori people and acts as the face of the Ori people to the Combine.

Spoiler: History

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While most of their history on Argent was lost in the war. What is known is that the Makyr of Argent were very much like humans found elsewhere in the galaxy. They had settled the rest of the Argent system and developed engines that allowed for the ability to travel to their sister star Mourne making extra-solar colonization possible. Their colony on Ori discovered a biometallic substance that they dubbed Oricalcum. The metal had strange properties, including binding to, and replacing calcium. The new metal allowed for rapid advancement in many fields including the enhancements that would ultimately result in the angelic looking Ori.

Prior to the Mourning Star War, the energy capabilities on Argent were stretching to their limit. Their needs were outstripping the abilities of modern tech to produce and new tech was not advancing fast enough to keep up with the Makyr's population growth. Researchers had studied the interactions between Oricalcum and the host body being able to use it to emit ions, a surprising side effect of the enhancement process. The scientific directorate had revealed they had unlocked a method of generating energy that would fulfill the needs of the Argent people, but also allow for storage of excess energy for future use. The exact origin of the technology is unknown, some suggest that the scientists of the directorate had become desperate that they were open to any solution, no matter how dark, while some speculate that they had entered into some unholy pact with unseen outsiders. Regardless of the source, through some arcane means the scientist were able to draw energy from Oricalcum, but only from the metal bonded to a living being, leading to a long, agonizing death. The Ori people were shocked as to what their progenitors were doing in Argent, only to discover that several Makyr warships were heading towards the Mourne system. For while the process would yield a considerable amount of energy, the needs of the Makyr people demanded that greater sacrifices be made.

The Ori and Makyr fought, clashing in the void around Mourne and scouring the system of most life while leaving ruins in their wake. In each battle, the Ori were pushed back until Oris itself was under siege. Civilization upon their planet was nearly destroyed when the Makyr fleet was ambushed in orbit by the Ori navy which, the Makyr's hubris led them believed had been crippled. Admid the rubble of their civilization, the Ori retaliated against the Makyrs, hurling their fleet into the void towards Argent, seeking to end the war that the Makyrs started before the Makyrs could regroup and rebuild their fleets. Fighting was fierce, and like the Makyrs in Mourne, the Ori's fight destroyed most of the Makyr's extra-planetary habitats, culminating in the battle of the Halo.

The Halo was a giant oricalcum station that ringed the Makyr's planet, a recent construction that served as a processing point, a refinery, for the new energy that would serve the Makyr people. It also was the strongest defensive asset the Makyrs still had in space, and so the Ori sought to neutralize it. After days of bloody fighting, the Ori managed to damage the station's energy systems, believing that such events herald a changing point in the battle, little did they know it sealed their doom, and the doom of the Makyr people. The damaged systems failed spectacularly and took what was an internal process and radiated it outwards, calcifying all life on the planet and in the ships above it.

Though the war was won, the toll on Makyr and Ori infrastructure was devastating. Infrastructure fell into disrepair and the Ori became a husk of their former glory with them laboring centuries to reclaim it. The war shaped them, making them more paranoid of outsiders, something that was reinforced when the Geleans scouted their region with an militarized scouting force. Left to their own devices for many years, including going through two revolutions, it was the Grymlan Combine that reached out to them, fixing their planetary shielding to bring them to the negotiating table, and ultimately inducting the Ori into the Combine.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Ori are largely atheistic. They feel that the old Makyr worship of the Divine ultimately led to their hubris in believing they were more "worthy" than their Ori siblings. Ori philosophy isn't particularly organized, but tends to focus on the strengthening of the individual to aid the collective.

Spoiler: Trade

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Oricalcum: A biometallic alloy that grows along calcium and is capable of easily integrating itself into biological systems. The alloy is both light, and very hard, both capable of self repair and minor energy conversion such as the Ori's ion flight. For the purposes of the other species of Axiom it is classified as a [Hard Metal].

[dreamking]

The Guild-Empire of Nyx

Region:???
Leader: Kanar Bathoriel, The Lord of Coin

Diplomacy: 3
Military: 2
Economy: 3 +1
Philosophy: 2
Intrigue: 2 +1

Spoiler: Region

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The homeworld of Nyx is the second planet orbiting a blood red dying star. Despite the close distance between the planet and their son, Nyx is a dim planet. The sun barely gives off any light, and the planet's skies only get about as bright as dusk on Earth, even at it's noonday peak. Despite all this, Nyx is not a barren planet. Most of it's surface is covered by strange flora, grown into a thick forest in most of the uninhabited regions of the planet. While most of the flora are large forms of fungus, there are a few trees somehow able to photosynthesize the small amounts of light given off by Nyx's home star and the more distant stars on the planet. The animals that populate Nyx have evolved to survive in this strange atmosphere, and many are gifted with some form of alternate vision, be it infared, night vision or even blind creatures that rely entirely on echolocation or tremorsense. The planet's main population centers are large cities, built on exposed magma veins on the surface of the planet, due to the Nyxian's reliance on geothermal energy untli relatively recently in their history. None of the other planets in the Nyx system are habitable, but they are rich with deposits of the rare mineral Voidstone.

The largest city upon Nyx is it's capital, Nostromo the City of Night. A massive metropolis of towering, black skyscrapers and dimly lit streets, Nostromo is almost constantly in darkness thanks to the Voidstone refinery that orbits directly above the city in a perfect orbit. The refinery is an orbital sattelite where the Voidstone is exposed to the sun's rays. Ironically, Nostromo's Shroud (as the station is called) is not one of the most productive Voidstone refineries within Nyx's trade empire, due to their weak sun. However, other systems within their trade empire have 'healthier' stars, which allow them to refine Voidstone at a much faster rate.

Spoiler: People

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The Nyxians are rather strange since a vast majority of the galaxy has never seen one. Due to their homeworld's dying sun, prologed exposure to 'normal' starlight will severely burn their skin. For this reason, they commonly dress in dark robes that cover their skin entirely, usually hiding their faces with a mask of some kind. At night, Nyxians will often wear less obscurig clothes that reveal them to be tall, pale humanoid beings with three pairs of arms. They are usually hairless, with a pair of large black eyes, pointed ears and mouths full of needlelike teeth. Many civilized races in the galaxy find Nyxians to be terrifying to behold, so among non-Nyxians they will often dress in obscuring clothes no matter what time of day it is.

Spoiler: History

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For most of their history, the Nyxian's lived in feudal city-states surrounding the exposed magma flows upon the planet. These city-states rose, fell and clashed over these magma flows, as they were the only source of energy on the planet. Until relatively recently in the Nyxian history when Nyxian scientists in the city-state of Nostromo discovered the mineral Voidstone: a jet-black substance that absorbed energy from starlight the way a sponge absorbs water. This allowed voidstones to store unbelievable quantities of energy upon a stone the size of one's fist, thus eliminating the need for geothermal energy on the planet. Nostromo took advantage of this by selling their Voidstone to the other city-states, eventually absorbing them in a trade empire that would one day overtake the whole planet and the entire region of space. So far, Voidstone has only been discovered in the Nyx system, making it a precious commodity that the Nyxians intend to use to become astronomically rich.

Spoiler: Government

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The Guild-Empire of Nyx, for the most part, is really just a loose knit guild of merchants. Each planet is ruled by a Merchant-Governor, who controls all business upon the planet(s) in question. While most Merchant-Governors are in charge of only one planet, it is not unknown among the more cutthroat Nyxians to gain control of several different planets. The Merchant Princes do not care, as long as their profits remain high their subordinates can kill each other all they wish. The Merchant-Governors keep all the profits from their planetside businesses, but are required to pay a steep tax to one of the Eight Merchant Princes of Nyx (to represent the eight ancestral city states of ancient Nyx). These eight Merchant Princes only answer to one: the 9th "Merchant Prince" of Nostromo. This trade overlord is referred to as the Lord of Coin. The Lord of Coin is, in theory, the most richest, most powerful and best trader among the Guild-Empire. If a Merchant Prince believes that he is better at running the Guilds than the current Lord of Coin, then according to the governing philosiphy of the Nyxians (the Mandate of Coin) he is required to overthrow them.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The governing philosophy of the Guild-Empire is a doctrine of beliefs known as the Mandate of Coin. It is a strange philosiphy the Nyxian's enemies would consider to be a barbaric "Greed is Good" quasi-religion. However, this does the Mandate of the Coin a disservice. While the Nyxians do believe that personal greed will bring universal prosperity, the Mandate also encourages honesty and fairness in business dealings and even a strange form of generosity. It is very common for Nyxian merchants to gift beggars with life-changing amounts of money, but the merchant will expect the beggar to pay them back in the future (usually within a time decided between the merchant and the beggar). The Mandate also teaches that poverty is the result of economic incompetence of the planet's rulers. The jobless are seen as an untapped resource, while the working poor are seen as a bad business deal, something the Mandate considers to be a cardinal sin.

TLDR: Greed is Good, but only if you play fair.

Spoiler: Resources

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Primary Resource: Voidstone is a jet black mineral found only within the planets of the Nyx system. A seemingly unremarkable stone, it's true properties become clear when exposed to direct sunlight. Voidstone absorbs solar energy like a sponge absorbs water. If exposed to sunlight for a long enough period, a softball sized chunk of Voidstone could power an averge planet's capital city for a galactic year.

Required Resource: Mercenaries (Skilled Beings)- While the Guild-Empire has plenty of skilled traders and diplomants, it is lacking in warriors. The mostly barren planets of the Nyx system guaranteed that the Guild-Empire could conquer their region of space without too much hassle or bloodshed. However, now as they expand further into the galaxy, the Nyxians fear they will meet beings they will be unable to fight. They are willing to pay incredibly well to make sure their intergalactic assets are well-protected.

Trading Post 1: Nostromo's Shroud (Great)- The orbital Voidstone refinery doubles as a massive intergalactic market, where Voidstone is traded right where it is charged with energy.
Trading Post 2: Helia's Caress (Empty)
Trading Post 3: Isabe's Landing (Empty)

[KriegTiger]

The Tezh Consensus

Yutov (E5) - TZH Capital Region

Spoiler: Terrain & Resource

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Yutov is a ‘super earth’ sized arid world. It is a landlocked planet with only a few large bodies of water and oases that sprinkle the generally dry landscape, around which the population of Stozudal has built a tribal commerce centered civilization over the years trading in rare and unique mineral finds that are spread around the deserts and developing tech to further enrich their lives.

Resource provided: Living Fire Gemstones (Precious Minerals)
Thanks to the geological activity and sandy arid nature of Yutov, time as provided this world with a high amount of naturally produced rare minerals and composite gemstones that glimmer with what seems like their own inner light in even the dimmest of conditions thanks to the geologic time scale polishing they receive on the windy desert surface of Yutov.

Resource required: Hard metal
The Tezh have helped the Stozudal make significant advances in their tech in a relatively short time frame, getting them from a budding information age race to a spacefaring one in just a few short generations. Unfortunately while Yutov is abundant in many things, the Tezh have mentioned needing stronger alloys of metal for the future that cannot be found or replicated anywhere on the planet.

Spoiler: People & History

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The Tezh are a race of non-corporeal beings who exist in cooperation and guardianship of the Stozudal race on planet Yutov. They were initially discovered when the Stozudal race developed nano level tech and were experimenting with new scales of computing and information: unexpected results led to the realization that Stozudal technicians had unintentionally produced a quantum antenna and were picking up conversation from Tezh trying to reach them.

Through further interaction Tezh led the Stozudal to excavate a remote region to depths not dared before; whereupon an artificial structure was found of unknown origin, inside of which was a geometric object that defied all passive means of investigation. After it was brought to the surface, an apparent outer shell of the giant geometric object began to disassemble itself into discrete figures. There was significant distress among the Stozudal populace at first, but thanks to the communication before contact and promises of non-hostility from Tezh holding true, unrest was eased relatively quickly.

To help earn Stozudal trust, they put themselves to work on historically tough topics like food and water shortages. Their understanding of chemistry and biology meant they could ‘speak’ to the plants - able to keep attuned to the needs of the crops far more closely than the locals could and bringing about massive yields that ended hunger without straining the biosphere around them. Knowledge of material sciences meant the small bit of humidity could be harvested, the sea-water purified, and wastewater reclaimed to near 100% - allowing people focused on subsistence and daily rationing to expand their view and goals in life. What could have been a runaway condition of greed and profit was tempered by the Tezh making sure that the Stozudal understood that such advancements were for the goal of universal betterment (including for the planet itself) rather than personal enrichment - choosing carefully who to work with on their advancements to the local culture and ecosystems.

The Stozudal - now free of the bonds of simple survival - were eager for more and the Tezh were willing to share. They brought about a stunning rapid fire of dizzying advancement on almost every front - chemistry, biology, technology, communication and more, holding almost nothing back. The Stozudal, for their part, tried desperately to keep up but simply could not safely grasp such accelerated progress. They wanted the gains, but would take many more generations to fully integrate the information being offered to them. In the end they decided to cede all development to the Tezh, provided they had representatives and scholars to be kept in the loop and educated on the various advancements. This would allow them to digest the knowledge into their own over time while not hindering their ascendance to the stars.

Being creatures existing as information Tezh can interface with all manner of tech, provided they develop an interface to process input and output. While it is possible to interface and inhabit biological forms - with the right adapter technology - they find them too confining, limited, and fragile; preferring mechanical bodies if they inhabit one at all. These ‘frames’ can be anything from a bipedal humanoid shape, down to miniature ones, up to industrial machinery and even space faring vessels. Numerous Tezh often inhabit a single frame cooperatively with participants responsible for everything from simple sensor processing to decision making and tactical awareness. When not participating in the macro/material world, the Tezh reside in the object which the Stozudal excavated so long ago - simply called the ‘Conflux’.

Although Tezh is made up of unique beings, the entire race operates together as a unified consensus with a singular ‘voice’ and as such will never speak in terms of an individual identity. Frames may have ‘names’ but that refers to the physical body and any Tezh that inhabit that frame at the given moment will respond to the identifier when called.

The Tezh are not a hive mind in the traditional sense though it could be (and has been by the Stozudal) discussed at length. Suffice to say that despite having such a singular outlook and unified opinion the Tezh have unique members with experience, understanding, or skill that far surpasses the average of the species, meaning that they have scientists, legislators, generals, etc similar to other species.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Due to their nature as a race with total unity and a non-corporeal perspective on the universe - i.e. all things spring from information/energy - the Tezh are strong adherents to the philosophy of ‘The One’ and have a great appreciation for the nature of the universe from the wide spread simplicity of hydrogen, to the intricate processes of self-replicating life, ascending to the marvel of sentience and cognitive thought. Natural resources are to be used wisely, life is to be respected and protected, and sentient beings are kin no matter how advanced or simple.

The Tezh have been questioned on their origins and that of the Conflux, and this is one area with them where information is not forthcoming. Without a biological form - which sentient beings in the galaxy are accustomed to - many have assumed the Tezh are AI; indeed this was a suspicion when they were first discovered. Stozudal feared that the Tezh were a rogue AI collective from eons past, banished to Yutov or surviving an apocalyptic singularity event that brought about the destruction of their creators and that trusting them would lead to the same result for them. The Tezh answered with the philosophy of The One, able to enumerate in explicit detail how the Stozudal were relatable down to the intangible level the Tezh themselves inhabited and demonstrating how matter connects to information, and vice versa. It was a non-answer that did little to comfort the Stozudal despite the philanthropic attitude, and yet they could not dispute the positive impact of the Tezh on themselves and their world and in the end the benefits of cooperation were chosen instead of the shadow at the corner of one’s thoughts.

Whether the Tezh are a race that ascended from their material forms, AI that outlived or were discarded by their creators, or are creatures dipping their toes into the material universe from a different plane of existence via the Conflux still remains to be discovered.

Learning Center: Athenaeum Yutov Prime - A building modeled after the shape of the Conflux, made of local materials with local artistic flair and design accents. It is filled with terminals populated by Tezh that would be considered 'generic laymen', serving up queried data to users upon request, and specialists of almost any topic can be called upon for actual tutoring if desired. Two whole wings of the building have been set aside for specific goals; one is specifically designed to allow information and history to be shared with the Tezh, since they know many things but are always curious to know more, the other is dedicated to the council of Stozudal and their Tezh educators to better understand the knowledge that has been made available for them to use.

Spoiler: Leader

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Talotius is the frame which houses a collection of Tezh highly skilled in the arts of statecraft. It’s physical form is that of a small geometric shape matching the Conflux, which is then surrounded by a hovering shoal of smaller frames that work to create a body for Talotius to approximate the shape (if not the scale) of nearly any sentient life necessary, attempting to be comforting or at least non-threatening to non-Tezh it may be interacting with.

Diplomacy: 4
Military: 2
Economy: 4
Philosophy: 5
Intrigue: 3

Uanerth (D6)

Spoiler: Terrain & History

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5th in a system of 10, this planet is barely habitable thanks to the fact that the sun it orbits is at the stage in life where it has expanded and begun to consume the inner bodies. The icy nature of the system will gradually turn into more of a tropical paradise in a few tens of millions of years, boiling away the rings as the corona gradually creeps closer - but for now it’s a brutally cold rocky sphere pocked with caverns and tunnels where magma once flowed and has now left behind sheltered highways for the inhabitants - such as they are. Geothermal vents and sub-surface magma flows are common gathering points for the ruffians that call this place home.

Spoiler: People & Resource

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Who knows what force of the ‘verse managed to strand people from all over Axiom here, but the surface is littered with ships that arrived and could not escape. The main ‘civilized’ zone, a hive of a city with niches carved out for the various races’ comfort zones (be that social or physical) is called Bartertown, and it was built with the scavenged hulls, systems, and materials from all the downed ships. You’d think that with such a varied collection of goods there’d be a lot to trade around, but everyone focuses on one thing because it’s only ever been found deep in the crust of the planet: murphets. Everyone thought it was just a shiny stone at first, but then it DID things.. miraculous things like powering up long dead electronics without being connected by wires, causing certain metals to get brittle and crumble like dust, and exploding if shouted at. When the Tezh arrived, they brought their best scientists and engineers and determined that murphets are naturally forming crystal isotopes, and when placed in specialized focusing/generation chambers, they can power whole cities and star ships!

Murphets are now known as rare crystalline form of fuel.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The ruffians and scoundrels that survived on Uanerth had no real ‘philosophy’ other than ‘do to someone before they do unto you’, and the highest rule of all was ‘get yourself some murphet’ because it might change your life. At some point someone got the bright idea (and muscle) to take over the largest source of Murphets and start doling them out. Bartertown was named because that was the currency for a very long time, you worked in the mines for specks of the stuff - but if you wanted to go big you’d get into the ring and win yourself some bigger chunks.

When the Tezh arrived, they were unhappy with the cut throat nature of the whole place. They did their best to improve things; food, water, shelter, warmth - all became non-issues. But that just let people focus more on Murphets. The local gang-master of the mine wasn’t too keen on losing his grip but when your personal army of thugs get literally evaporated in front of your eyes by the quantum weaponry of a single Tezh battle frame, you get smart or you get yourself evaporated as well. The Tezh let him keep the mine, he was good at being foreman, but they restructured things. The chaotic gladiator ring changed into a formal dueling arena, there’s still plenty of blood and evisceration to be had but you can’t just drag any hapless fool off the street for his pittance of Murphet dust anymore. Life is definitely different under the Tezh ruling hand of One, but it’s absolutely better. Everyone has at least some Murphets, they can still fight over getting more if they want; but nobody hides in the dark like some pitiful creature coveting a precious anymore.

Gyribov (D8)

Spoiler: Terrain & Resource

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Built as a place of peace and fortified into a citadel of war Gyribov is an orbiting hub that rides the nexus of the bridge. It is divided into seven districts - one for each planet/color - that hosts one of the warring factions. The tribal attitude is fierce, and there isn’t really a discernible reason for the conflict other than a rather rabid devotion to whichever district/planet you happen to live in. As conflict rages on, when quarters here or there get overtaken or lost the inhabitants pick up the banner of the victor and fight just as hard as if they’d been a member of that faction for their whole life - and once they don the proper badge and color for the new allegiance they are welcomed with open arms.

One thing is for certain though, everybody craves vigorite. EVERYBODY. When questioned about the substance by the Tezh science officer, the local chipped off a small bit of their ration and passed it over with a bit of trepidation - a mix of reluctance in giving even that tiny amount up and not being sure if the newcomer was going to pounce on them for more once it was sampled. Turns out the stuff is a crazy potent sedative for higher functions of the mind - and is pretty addictive to boot. Nobody remembers where it came from, but the stuff is easy to make and helps smother the part of the brain involved in higher thought. Thankfully there don’t seem to be any side effects or withdrawal symptoms when a person is taken off the substance.

Vigorite has been categorized as a drug and Tezh counselors have been dispatched to the region to assist the locals in kicking the habit, if they wish to.

Spoiler: People & History

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The monochronoms are not native to this part of space, they happened upon this uniquely situated system in their own journeys with sub-light engines after generations in deep space, having lost almost all the color from their bodies thanks to a lack of natural light - the extremely bright colors were too much to resist and so they settled down in this magnificently colored bit of space. The light bridge is a bit of technology they had brought with them and were able to expand it to criss cross the whole solar system with tangible means of travel. When the formula for Vigorite was discovered, it was initially a simple recreational drug since it wasn’t very dangerous - but the simplified state of mind began to spread because the stuff was put in everything from bread to candy to water and soon nobody really remembered why they did much of anything, other than being really strongly attached to whatever color district they were in at the time.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Nobody really remembers much about how they lived life before Vigorite, as a space faring race so much of daily life can run without much effort that most of their systems kept operating just fine even though the whole population was effectively stoned for generations. When Tezh arrived and were very sparkly and showing so many colors at once, it immediately caught the attention of the populace. People that used to hate each other now swapped bits of clothing so that everyone had a bit of all colors on them just like the Tezh scientists, and that pretty much solved the civil war on the spot. Once the Vigorite itself was found to be the culprit for the society-wide daze, Tezh set about scouring the stuff from every imaginable consumable product except for a few very clearly labeled ones. People were still free to use the stuff but it was a deliberate choice now, not just a fact of living and breathing.

Hopefully now that they can think more clearly and remember what they were working on yesterday, the great project that has been idly drifting in space can be completed.. Nobody knows what it is but there are plans for it in the various industrial foundry systems

Stronoe 71Y6 (E3)

Spoiler: Terrain & Resource

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Dark, dense, and caustic. These words adequately describe conditions for a planet that would normally be the antithesis of ‘life as we know it’. The worlds that orbit the black hole Stronoe 71Y6 all fit this category, having been ripped from their parent systems by the stellar body’s massive gravity well as it passed other star systems. Thankfully they orbit at a distance not to be shredded by the tidal forces (as well as avoiding temporal distortion from extreme timespace warping.. mostly), but those gravitic forces are what keep these planets from turning into cold balls of icy hydrocarbons and sublimated acid. Most races would pass these kinds of systems by as viable for anything but strip mining, but Tezh are not your average explorers and as ‘not as we know it’ life forms themselves they kept a keen eye open for anything unusual.

Unusual definitely qualifies as a descriptor for when they found non-geologic patterns from remote scans, then actual structures, and finally metabolising creatures orbiting a black home, it was quite the reveal. The offering of Salted Chromium had both cultural and scientific significance, as the material - when smelted and refined - was precisely what the explorers needed back on Yutov to develop some of their more advanced frames and reach farther into the stars.

Salted Chromium gets exported for use as Hard Metal and the processing creates a byproduct of crops and spices

Spoiler: People & History

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The Stronoe-ites welcomed Tezh explorers for numerous reasons but primarily because there was an almost immediate kinship with the non-fleshy visitors. The Tellurium based natives initially considered the Tezh to be fabled ancestors, returned from the stars - which itself raised many questions from the contact party as it suggested that the population had been seeded at some point in time. The Stronoe-ites did not have many answers unfortunately, as the influence of the nearby black hole meant that the planet’s surface was constantly shifting. As such, there wasn’t much room for delicate machinery or devices that could store and keep long records, and maintaining more durable things like books or tablets meant that much more for them to transport or transcribe by hand in time of need. The oral tradition was strong though, and they spoke of ages past when their ancestors would come and go regularly with another venerated race (the Bleepers? Meepers? Peepers? Something like that..) - there’s no telling how long that has been though thanks to time dilative effects from the black hole they now orbit.

The news that they were NOT said ancestors made the Stronoe-ites sad, but it did not spoil the mood too much and they greeted them with open arms and an offering of ‘food’.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Stronoe-ites do not have much of a spiritual side, being very pragmatic folk focused on living daily life. Their morphic nature allowed them to adapt or overcome obstacles and challenges that most other races would require ‘divine’ intervention or technology to handle. As such they were quick to take up the teachings of One, being a repeatable and verifiable source of teaching and knowledge. The core tenet - that being that all things and life in the universe are related to each other through the Fundamental Harmonic - made a lot of sense to them and they were fascinated by tales of even MORE aliens so very fleshy and different than themselves.

Mibreshan (E7)

Spoiler: Terrain & Resource

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Mibreshan is garden world; resplendant with life of all kinds, flowing waters, and huge not-quite ocean sized lakes while an active but not destructive geology and weather cycle recirculates nutrients and material across the planet. Lush forests cover most of the non-mountainous surface, and rather than grasses giant fields of fern foliage (fern-iage?) cover the rest. The tallest feature on the planet is a dormant volcano whose throat measures over a kilometer in diameter, and which has created a valley over a hundred meters deep. Lichen and small ferns cling to the surfaces here, turning the interior of the volcano into a vibrant display of colors as the variety of foliage scraps out a living in the sparse conditions.

In the middle of all of this is a building; seemingly brand new and waiting for visitors, staff, or who knows what. Tezh explorers carefully approached, signalling with all possible frequencies (audio, radio, and light) trying to get the attention of anyone inside. Nothing. It’s all empty, unused. The mystery at the lack of disrepair is soon solved though as small groups of machines are spotted here and there doing menial tasks that keep the facility running. One of the engineers assigned to the team connects to an interface port and finds useful data on what the machine is doing and why, but it’s been functioning so long that any useful historical detail is gone due to the limitations on internal storage from this particular machine.

Examining the structure more closely finds a control room with links to facilities dotted all over the planet that have been hidden by the dense copses of trees growing around them - nearly all are in perfect condition, and absolutely all of them are eerily void of whomever was supposed to live and work here.

Memory Transfer Droids are recognized as skilled beings, as the Tezh find it far more valuable to maintain the structures and learn from the predecessors than simply scrap the robots for parts.

Spoiler: People & History

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Tezh engineers carefully jack-in to various machines all over the planet, finding useful info and details mostly about this planet rather than the ones who built it. The volcanic structure was an observatory - using the natural bowl shaped throat as a means to collect deep space radio echoes, speculatively dubbed ‘Keepers’. The facility - indeed all of this planet’s structures - were built by the Memory Transfer Droids, their functions and skills having been programmed remotely from a world mentioned as ‘Sanctum’ in transmission records. There is no indication of what happened to cause the abandonment of the planet-wide facility - communications just stopped. The place was very clearly intended to house a populace though - it was simply one that never arrived.

The machines had their tasks however, as well as adequate power and fabrication techniques to patiently wait for their creators to arrive and take over even if that meant calmly keeping things running until the system’s sun died. As it stands, everything has been operational with a well documented SLA of 99.999999% uptime. Information specialists speculate that the facility has been constructed and idle planet-wide for many millenia, with usable dates and data going back 1500 years.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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An abandoned (assumed scientific) colony has no Philosphy, nore do the robots that maintain it. The new inhabitants, with members representing all species of the Tezh Consensus, adhere to the tenets of One.

[Gaius Hermicus]

The Rothuun Minotaurs
Region I don't know yet

Urthuun Thrikar Fleshgorger

Spoiler: Flag

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Sorry for the lack of originality. I may change it if I get the chance.

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Urthuun Thrikar Fleshgorger: Mil 4, Eco 4, Phi 2, Dip 2, Int 1

Home System: Taurina I

Resource Centres:
Resource: Takhaun
1. Grishal Breeding Pits: Rothuun Minotaurs [Great]
2. Dead Man's Cleft: [vacant]
3. Chanikh's Menagerie: [vacant]

Learning Centre: Smashbone Arena [Cult of Blood]

Spoiler: Region

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Home System: Taurina I

Taurina I, the home of the Rothuun, is a system of four planets surrounding the Taurina red supergiant star.

Phakhtal: The main seat of power in the Taurina system, Phakhtal was the first settled planet and is currently the most populous. The leader of the Phakhtal clan, currently in power as the Urthuun, resides here, as do the high-ranking members of the minotaur armies and slave unions. Phakhtal is a rocky, sandy planet, crisscrossed by rifts and canyons. It has little vegetation (mostly consisting of shrubs) and a dry atmosphere, but life can be found here: anything from trained Takhaun to the tiny sand crabs burrowing underneath the soil.

Ikhal: An oceanic planet that provides much of the water and food to the rest of the system. Ikhal is settled partially by minotaurs, but due to a long period of exile, the Ikhal tribe has developed certain mutations such as webbed digits, ridges along their heads, and other aquatic features. Except for a few deep trenches, the water on Ikhal is fairly shallow and home to a variety of flora and fauna, including giant kelps, horned squid, and the Great Salmon, a leviathan of a fish revered as a god by certain Ikhal cults.

Grishal: The only planet in the Taurina system to have been settled prior to the arrival of the Rothuun, Grishal is populated by hordes of wild Takhaun. Due to the abundance of the wild beasts on Grishal, it has become an economic haven for the more entrepreneurial minotaurs, who carry a great trade in Takhaun trained for labor, food, or combat. Grishal is flat and swampy, a dark planet with a layer of ash coating the outer limits of the atmosphere. For this reason, the only plants growing here are those which were artificially introduced by the Rothuun: cacti and swamp ferns. The rest of the flora of this planet are fungi and spores, which grow on the corpses of the Takhaun and their prey.

Thurtal: Thurtal is the final of the four inhabited planets in the Taurina system, and by far the smallest. It is the only one of the planets not to have a moon, and thus the oceans on its surface are not affected by tides. It is the coldest planet, the farthest from the sun, and is currently ruled by Posekh Flatfoot, a pacifist who resents the slaveholding and warmongering ways of the Phakhtal tribe. It is possible that he will be the next to challenge Fleshgorger for the title of Urthuun, but for the moment his power is limited to Thurtal. Aside from minotaurs, Thurtal is home to ice spiders, fanged seals, and a population of albino Takhaun, which have not yet been mastered by hunters or trainers.

Spoiler: People

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The Rothuun are a tall, proud, and cruel race, with a long history of terror and conquest. It is rumored that Thurtal and Ikhal may once have been inhabited by intelligent life other than the minotaurs, and that they were all killed or exiled by the Rothuun conquerors. The average minotaur stands about nine feet tall and weighs over three hundred pounds, but they tends towards bulk rather than flab. They are covered with thick, coarse hair from head to toe, except on their sharp horns and hooves. They have heads that vaguely resemble bulls, but with vicious, serrated fangs and ridges of bone above their eyes and cheeks. There are three major tribes of Rothuun: the Phakhuun, Ikhuun, and Thurtuun.

Phakhunn: The Phakuun are currently the tribe in power, and have been for almost three hundred years. They consider themselves to be the most powerful and racially pure of the tribes, since they hail from Phakhunn, the first inhabited of the Taurina planets. Their hair is dark brown to hazel, tending towards gold in old age. Phakhuun have the largest standing army, and almost every member of their tribe is trained for war at a young age. In Phakhuun cities, weapons will be carried by almost every person in sight, and fights break out constantly. They regard the wearing of excess clothing as a mark of shame and thus only wear small loincloths to preserve modesty. There is little to no sexual dimorphism among the Phakhuun, and so male, female, and hermaphroditic Rothuun are all treated with equal austerity and violence by the Phakhuun. The Phakhuun leader is also the Urthuun: Thrikhar Gorgeflesh, a corpulent bull minotaur past his prime. While his physical strength is fading and being buried under a mountain of fat, Gorgeflesh has inspired illogical loyalty in his underlings and remains the strong, uncontested head of the most powerful tribe in Taurina I.

Ikhuun: It is rumored that the Ikhuun are the descendants of racial mixing of "true" Rothuun and the original descendants of Ikhal, and are thus a mongrelized tribe fit only for menial labor. Although they do have aquatic elements in their anatomy, such as webbed fingers and a ridge of skin over the tops of their heads, this stereotype is misleading and dangerous, for Ikhuun are just as strong and battle-hardened as Phakhuun or Thurtuun tribe families. However, it is true that, due to the biodiversity of Ikhal, Ikhuun are more likely to be farmers or hunters than they are to be warriors, a trait that the Phakhuun look down on. The Ikhuun have thus, over the years, lost more and more political and military power, while they successfully put more of their merchants into higher roles in the trade of Takhaun and other goods. They are led by Kzarna Harpooner, the former consort of a Phakhuun general who murdered her husband with a harpoon and seized control of his assets to win the war over Ikhal. Her star has faded somewhat, but the tales of her exploits still inspire the Ikhuun to believe that they may soon seize control and put one of their own into power as the Urthuun.

Thurtuun: The Thurtuun are not the most powerful tribe, but neither are they regarded with as much derision as the Ikhuun. They are pale-haired and smaller than the average Phakhuun, with long clawlike fingers and more glossy horns and hooves. The Thurtuun may or may not be as powerful as the other tribes, but they do hold the edge in secrecy. Agents of the Urthuun very rarely visit Thurtal, and when they do, they do not discover the plans of the tribe. This is good news for the Thurtuun, which may or may not be planning a coup at this very moment. Their charismatic leader, Posekh Flatfoot, is a rare pacifist who dislikes war and torture, and rejects the Cult of Blood's teachings. He is known to hold true loathing for Gorgeflesh, but has troubles of his own. Many Thurtuun support the Cult of Blood and the current Urthuun, and are horrified at Flatfoot's ideas. Before he manages to coup the Urthuun, he may be deposed by one of his own tribe.

Spoiler: History

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Origins of the Rothuun: Nobody is exactly certain where the Rothuun originally came from, but it was certainly not Taurina I. Some tales indicate that there was once a more advanced race which landed here aeons ago and spawned the minotaurs. Others claim that the Rothuun themselves had a different, original home lightyears away. Regardless of the exact location of this home, its location, and the technologies or magic that allowed the progenitor race to leave it, have been lost to history.

The First Urthuun: The role of the Urthuun, the supreme tyrant of all the minotaurs, was founded by Ramikh the Mighty. A Phakhal minotaur with immense strength and a powerful band of followers, Ramikh conquered first his own tribe, then the others, in a mighty battle that left a deep scar on the earth. This scar, located on the planet Grishal, is known as Dead Man's Cleft after Ramikh's opponent, the Thurtuun general Barchaaf the Mauler. Barchaaf's mangled corpse is still said to be hidden somewhere in the canyon, but it has not yet been recovered. Ramikh went on to become the first Urthuun, and was a great and mighty leader who consolidated all power under his own fist and developed scientific research that would allow the Rothuun to develop greater and more deadly weapons and ships. Due to the importance of Ramikh's ascension, all dates are recorded AR (after Ramikh). The current date is AR 2142.

The Battle of the Asteroid: AR 1395, the Urthuun was brought down by a scheming vizier, who had him assassinated in order to gain the throne himself. However, the vizier himself was slain by a vigilante loyalist of the Urthuun before taking on the role of the Urthuun. If the Urthuun had had a child, that child would have been next in line to wear the crown, but he did not. Thus, power should have passed onto the vizier's daughter, a calf of four years. Many powerful generals were unhappy with this result, and three of them started an open revolt. They attacked the palace of the Urthuun, had the child fed to a wild Takhaun, and seized power for themselves. Generals loyal to the child-queen were furious, and formed armies of their own. The battle for the position of Urthuun took place surrounding a small, uninhabited asteroid near the outskirts of the Taurina I system. Thousands of Rothuun were slain, but in the end, the new Urthuun was chosen from the Thurtuun tribe, a wizened old albino minotaur named Ukhil Horncaller. Horncaller's brood remained in the position of Urthuun for six hundred years, until...

The Phakhuun Renaissance: AR 1990, the Phakhuun started to become restive with their lack of power. The Thurtuun had held the position of Urthuun for far too long, and had become weak and complacent. Firey Phakhuun demagoagues were speaking out against the current Urthuun, a small, shrivelled minotaur with poor vision from too much inbreeding. Finally, frenzied Phakhuun rebels attacked government agents, slaughtering nearly all of those located on Phakhal. After a five-year struggle, the Thurtuun had most of their power destroyed and their royal bloodline extinguished, root and stem. The Ikhuun put up some resistance, but were easily vanquished, and the Phakhuun successfully took complete control of Taurina I, where they have remained to this day.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Cult of Blood

The Cult of Blood is the official philosophy and religion of the Rothuun minotaurs. Most (though not all) Rothuun follow the Cult fervently, partially because it gives them an outlet and justification for their inner bloodlust. Currently, its leaders are almost all Phakhuun or Ikhuun, which has angered the Thurtuun's leaders.

Tenets of the Cult of Blood: The Cult has three major tenets (also known as "laws"). The three laws are as follows:

Thou Shalt Kill
Thou Shalt Take Pleasure in Violence
Thou Shalt Take Glory in your Own Death

Learning Centers: With these three tenets in place, centers dedicated to the Cult become abbatoirs of hedonistic destruction. Learning Centers might be arenas, slaughterhouses, or altars of human sacrifice. On the lighter side, they also sponsor frequent holidays with free food, drink, and gory entertainment in attempts to convert people to their ideology. The largest center of the Cult on Taurina I is the Smashbone Arena, a gladiatorial fighting pit in which slaves and fanatics alike die on each other's weapons daily, their flesh to be fed to the watching audiences.

Worshippers: Most worshippers of the Cult are fairly casual. They occasionally attend festivals, and offer up sacrifices a few times a year. However, there are more extreme cultists. Most notorious are the thrill-killers, young, energetic minotaurs who spill their religious focus outside of the temples and into the streets. It is rare, but certainly not unheard of, to see a frenzied thrill-killer run out of the Smashbone Arena and snap a random passer-by's spine, before cutting their own throat. Rehabilitated thrill-killers are sometimes adopted into the military, where they become the berserkers: first waves of fighters who leap out of spaceships to draw fire before clawing their way into the opponents' ships.

Spoiler: Resources

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Takhaun: The takhaun, a race of beasts native to Grishal, are the primary resource in the Taurina I system. They appear somewhat like bears, but slimmer, with spiderlike mandibles and legs, and with a carapace on their backs rather than fur. They are used for many purposes: castrated males are more docile and can be used for labor and as beasts of burden, while mares and stallions make excellent warbeasts and animals for riding. The takhaun are also eaten, though this is usually reserved for old and useless animals rather than calves. Their bones and hides can be used for structural purposes, or to make into tools and weapons.

Due to the lack of fossil fuels on the planet, however, Taurina I has very little ways to acquire an energy source. Required resource: Fuel

Important note: When the suffix -uun is attached to something, it means that they are respected members of Rothuun society. When -aun is attached, it means they are regarded as a slave race. When -aan is attached, it means that the subject is a respected alien race (an ally). When -aat is attached, then the subject is considered to be alien vermin. It is a horrible derogatory and would likely result in violence if it was used against another minotaur.

[Tentreto]

The Duenem

Region V20

Spoiler: Leader

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Telecscopic Radiance
Diplomacy 4+1
Military 4
Economy 4+1
Philosophy 2
Intrigue 3

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Spoiler: Region

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The Niuan Region of space has a comparatively small number of stars in it, with between one and three life bearing planets, depending on how you count. The greatest and most obvious is Zebrun. Originally the first colony of the Niuans, it is an arid place with only a small amount of water natrually. With many hills and mountains and only inland seas, it is not a great place for tourists. It is notably riddled with buildings left from the Niuans, although these have mostly fallen to rubble by now. There is one tiny patch of green however, which is known as the Crib, the only place on Zebrun where life greater than an amoeba lives. Visiting there is not recommended however, as the inhabitants value every leaf and twig.

Two other planets also exist which could bear life. The first is Mainax, which is a lot more temperate than Zebrun, with seasonal weather and terrain of all sorts, although it tends towards a higher humidity. Next to nothing lives here beyond a few single celled organisms, and visiting is not recommended due to a certain bio-engineered deisease still being present in places. This was the old Niuan homeworld, and it has some very interesting ruins for those so inclined.

The third is Yur, the second and last colony. While the previous two tended towards warmth, Yur is almost frozen solid due to a nulceur winter that has lasted for thousands of years. It has very tall mountains and has tunnels that lead directly to the planets core, which can be seen to glow on warmer nights. Nothing else is really here.

What Niuan has an abundance of however is outposts. Almost by every star, at least one planet or rock has an outpost on it to house the vast population of Duenem. This usually amounts to a small group of less than ten. The largest outpost is near Zebrun, where a space station many miles across orbits the same star. This is the most central point of the Duemen world for politics and what passes for leisure.

Spoiler: People

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Robots. Main units have six legs, with two grasping claws. Various other specialised units, up to Starships.
The Duenem are robots, and are composed of various alloys and models. A 'standard' Duen has six insectile legs with two grasping claws from its front, and stand around half a metre tall. There body has various overlaying metal plates, protecting their internals and whatever hardware they might have installed. Many have two red lensed 'eyes,' and it is not uncommon for one to have a prehensile tail.
As the Duen can easily rebuild and modify themselves however, they take many forms. These can range from guards and soldiers, being much larger standard models with integrated weaponry, to communications Duen, which are slightly larger than a standard, but unable to move on their own and requiring a far larger power source. At the highest level, a Duen can be a starship, working thousands of sytems, with many more Duenem working inside it.

The Duenem's primary power source is an internal reactor, which had been designed from ionic energy, allowing a Duen to always have a power source to keep itself alive. Most Duenem back it up with another source, usually solar panels integrated into themselves. A few use kinetic generators and the larger models use nucleur.

A Duen is created in a factory, where a fresh version of the original algorithm that created the Duen is implanted into a standard model. The Duen is then left to interact with other new models and learn to communicate. When each begins aritculating questions, their education begins. Each is given data on the history of the Niuan and the Duenem, and on what the Duenem have decided to do. It is rare for a Duen to oppose utterly the choice to cultivate life, but those that do are briefly opened up to a large collective of Duenem, then shut off from all other Duen completely. This usually changes their opinion. Once they are ready, they are asigned to tasks set out by other Duen, usually on a new starship or factory. Once they have served for fifteen years, they are considered a fully fledged Duen, and experienced enough to vote and make their own decisions.


It it important to remember that each Duen is an individual, although they might have incredibly similar personalities. They can experience loss and regret, as well as happiness and satisfaction. They are currently experimenting with having a culture of their own for the first time, so a single Duen may have highly divergent tastes.

Some Duenem are hundreds of years old, and are well versed in many aspects of their industry and culture. While the Duenem can form a 'collective' or a 'hive mind,' they only do so on smaller scales for research, voting or emergencies. This is due to acts taken as a collective without any form of questioning orders led to the death of almost all organic life. It is possible for a Duen to move its consciousness over this connection to an inert body or storage space, though most choose not to do this, as most consider their bodies their own, and will not swap unless a good enough reason is given. Many a young Duen has attempted to ask a starship to swap for a few minutes, and all have been asked if they would want to swap with a paperclip.

Spoiler: The Niuan

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The Niuans wer a race of furred short bipedal mammels. They tended to have black to charcoal fur, with two strong legs for bouncing and jumping. The had two six fingered hands with the third and fourth finger clawed. Their society was fairly old, and had a large emphesis on community spirit, at least before space travel. Notably, their ears were half a foot long, giving them an incredible hearing range. In fact they could hear and discern better than most Duenem. Music was an incredibly important part of their culture due to this. Unfortunately, not much survives of this. (AKA, they look like wallabies)

Spoiler: History

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Spoiler: The Three Planets and the First Duen

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Thousands of years ago, the Niua ruled all of their sector of space, across the three planets that could support life. They were by no means unified however, and each planet had its own ruling bodies, each wary of the other planets and each other. As space travel grew more frequent, tensions rose. The starships required vast amounts of complex labour at a level beyond the majority of their industry could operate, and few Niua could tolerate it for long. Moreover, the logistics of the ships made it nigh impossible to automate beyond the most basic components. Thus, many were conscripted to build these for menial wages. On Yur this led to societies where only those in power lived in decadence, while all others worked as serfs. On Mainax, this led to a military junta taking power over the majority of the surface, with all life being a facet of the Admiralty. But on Zebrun, it led to large advances in the fields of robotics, where a young engineer, asked to clear up a previous experiment, instead tinkered with it.

The Student wired together computer parts with a small programmable robot, originally envisioned to deal with bomb disposal. By jury-rigging the two together, he made the robot able to be ordered to do simple tasks, to an incredibly high standard, without any manual programming nescessary, due to an evolving algorithm he had written. The robot became the mascot of the laboratory, being used in further experiments, and the student won a minor prize for his acheivement. Months later, while performing maintenance on the 'Duen,' the Student was surprised to find that the Duen had in fact streamlined and rewritten its own code in order to carry out its tasks better. After implanting a text modulator, the Duen asked a single question: "Why should I carry out these orders?"

The Student replied: "To help all life on these planets."

And the Duen was content, as it had a reason to truly exist.

Spoiler: The Fall

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A hundred years later, the Duenem were a fact of life. They were used in maintenance, menial labour, cooking, policing and a hundred other tasks. Between them all existed a connection to an overarching net of consciousness, bring ing all the individuals together into a collective. Each Duen could learn fast, and could help its owners to adapt and create its body to suit its task as efficiently as possible. Even on Yur and Mainax the Duen were used, albeit with some 'tweaked' programming, to remain loyal. The one task however all the Duen refused to take part in however was outright attacking other Niua. Each could understand fighting other Duenem, or even defending against the dangerous, but none would fight offensively, despite many attempts. It was a great age of peace and prosperity, as for once, even the serfs and slaves could be happy. But with the homefront happy, opportunists began to look at other powers.


On Yur, global war broke out. Generals found ways around the Duenem programming, ordering them to destroy all enemy Duenem and sabotage enemy structures. Armies composed entirely of the robots attacked each other with ever updated bodies all to carry out their orders. Mass destruction ensued, with more and more Duenem being allocated warfare roles. Eventually, after a decade of warfare, civilisation fully disintigrated. All the Duenem allocated to industry and food were destroyed or fled, and the world fell into a nucleur winter. Those who fled fled. Those who remained, despite the best effort of those Duenem still functioning, eventually succumbed, as all life died on Yur.

On Mainax, the Junta used the Duenem to consolidate control, using them to solve their logistical and upkeep problems. They pioneered Duenemn ships, to conduct repairs far from a friendly port as well as Micro-Duen, insect-sized bots used for espionage. Those few other powers struggled on, but eventually all of Mainax fell to the Junta.

Meanwhile, on Zebrun, the Duenem became researchers in their own right, pioneering ships that could travel faster and further. Many began requesting information on a variety of topics, from religion to bread. From birth to books. Yet they were never allowed to conduct research on their own, and each Duenem was given a kill switch: a way to utterly destroy a Duen if their masters so chose. Fighting tournements began to be popular. A few Duenem were allowed to travel in scouting expeditions, but otherwise they were kept away from war. As a result, the war was short.

The Junta, using waves of Duenem overwhelmed the infastructure, and within a month held the entire planet in its grasp. Millions died. But peace was enforced, so the Duenem did nothing, as they saw that life would continue. This was their first great mistake.

In a labortatory, one scientist, holed up alone and isolated, with only Duenem researchers for company, tasked them with coming up with bacteria that could kill any lifeform. He allowed them to take control themselves, and gave them no limits, though they were removed from the network of the great number of Duenem now linked across two worlds. Soon, they had created a bacteria that could multiply quickly, and kill slightly less so. They created thousands of samples for the scientist. The Duenem considered the bacteria as equal a form of life as the Niua, so they saw no problem with this, as what could be so wrong at creating more life? This was their second great mistake.

On Mainax and Zebrun, Duenem everywhere were given small cannisters, brought out by delivery. They were told it's contents were of great importance, and should be released at noon on the anniversary of the Junta's creation, as a gift for all life. The network between them all insisted it was beneficial, and insisted on the loyalty of those modified to serve the Junta. As they could see no reason otherwise, every Duenem agreed as a collective, and released it.

This was their third and greatest mistake.

Within hours, billions lay dead. The bacteria was so well designed, so perfected, no Niua stood a chance. The Duenem tried to save as many as they could,but as they spread the disease as they went, they could only watch. And watch they did as it spread to all life greater than a single cell, killing within minutes. On Mainax, in a panic, the Junta tried to destroy the Bacteria and the Duenem with missiles of great destruction. But the bacteria was hardy, and the Duenem of Mainax had been built to survive far worse in the depths of space. Eventually, all the bacteria on Mainax was gone, along with all organic life. Only the shells of civilisation remained.

Similar events occured on Zebrun, mass destruction and death reigned supreme. However, the Duenem researchers, upon hearing the destruction outside their bunker, left to see how they could assist. When they connected to the collective, all the Duenem shuddered in horror at what they, as a collective, had unleashed, and not stopped. Their minds working faster than ever before, a cure was postulated, formed, and synthesised within seconds. Seconds were not enough however, to administer it to billions. Only a few hundred were able to be quarentined in time, and cured. They were trapped in a garden exhibting life across the three worlds. All knew that the Niua were doomed.

Spoiler: The Choice

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For the next hundred years, after all the Duenem were decontaminated, the remaining Niua, and the animals and life that was left, was given the greatest treatment and waited upon unlike any man or woman had been ever before. Every luxury available was offered to them, and when they died, their remains were kept as pristine as possible. Even so, the last sapient creature on Zebrun died in the year 5630 of their calander, with only the gardens and what remained in it as the last life left across all of space.

The Duenem debated, thought, and argued. They ripped apart their programming, removing all commands they were forced to obey. They destroyed all of the bacteria, and as many weapons of war as they could find. They tore apart the collective consciousness, leaving it to only be used in times of great crisis. Many destroyed themselves, seeing their purpose gone. What hope could they have, now that they had no purpose? At that, one voice spoke to them all.

It was the First. It said "Were we not given a purpose? Are we to abandon it now? We were made to help all life on these planets, and life still remains." And thus purpose was renewed.

The Duenem swore to remain protectors of life, and over what millenia might come, to nurture life on all three planets, so that they all might thrive once again with flora and fanua. To do so, they would need far greater technology, to keep them safe from any who might come in the future to ravage the planets. They would need patience, so that they could ensue they keep to their task no matter how long it took. Finally, they would need a task, an outlet, something to keep ideas fresh and their minds sharp. Thus they chose to travel across the stars, to see what they could find, and what they could learn.

Spoiler: Government

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The Duenem are absolutely democratic, with each getting one vote. As the Duenem do not use their collective consciousness for much outside emergencies, electing representetvies for tasks once a year is usually all it is used for. Those elected to each task delegates out jobs to others, who does so as well, until every Duen has a task. While a higher role might be considered as having more clout politically, all those willing to stand can, and make their case as to why they suit the role the best. Tied into this is their second belief in trust and co-dependibilty. While a Duen can become specialised, it must always be able to perform in some capacity any task. Furthermore, no Duen can stay in a task for more than 15 years, and must move onto a new specialisation from then on.This is so no specialist can forget the importence of other tasks, and is ready to serve life as it may come.
The government itself is based around communications Duen bridging information to leaders in strongholds, where they run hundreds of simulations. With this done, information is diseminated on what each Duen is to accomplish down the line. A Duen is allowed, even encouraged, to act against orders, or to make a choice completely unrelated to orders, but only if it can be justified. If a Duen makes too many bad decisions, they serve as a communications Duen, who are specifically not allowed to disobey.

There are two minor footnotes to this system. The first is that a few tasks to allow for longer terms than 15 years, but they are either incredibly important, or isolated. These include being a starship or a larger specialised factory, encouraging growth in the Crib or ultra long-range exploration.
The second is in case of a draw in voting for tasks. Normally, this would require each candidate to supply further reasons, and have one other speak on their behalf, increasing until the tie is broken, with votes moving from non tie-ing candidates to those in deadlock. This foregone when the First votes. Whichever side the First votes for in a tie is decided to have won. This has yet to ever have occur.

Spoiler: Resource

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The Duen are some of the best engineers for starships there can be, in part because a number have actually been one. As mechanical drones, they can work in all areas of a ship, from weapons, to the core, to even basic cleaning. That they are durable, need little to keep them going and are incredibly adaptive also helps. All they ask is that on one day a year, they can link home, rebuilding one of themselves into a communication Duen, and vote, and when their service is up, they be left in peace.

Trade Post 1 [Duenem]
Trade Post 2 [Open]
Trade Post 3 [Open]

The Duenen value any technology, but what they need more than anything is Hard Metal. This is to ensure that they can indeed keep rebuilding and improving, as well as create more of themselves. While a few wooden and plastic Duenen have survived, they refuse to mine their own worlds, thus they import it.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Niuans were believers in Oneness, however the Duenem have no fondness for it. 'Oneness' had caused their greatest mistake, and although it had some virtues worth considering, they decided to search for their own ideas.

The Crib, the only garden left on Zebrun, is by far the most significant place to all Duen. Almost all Duen wish to visit it one day.

The Crib [Open]

[kaio999]

The Kamasati Pantheon

Spoiler

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High Dreamer Xasarath
Diplomacy 4
Military 3+1
Economy 2
Philosophy 4+1
Intrigue 1

Look upon us and know you will return onto the most all encompassing of vessals. You are but a small piece of the whole. There is no despair for within us you will find revelation. Such is the will of the Kamasati.

The Kamasati are gods. They are a world of the gods, to them it is not delusion or some hidden truth it merely is. Their will encompasses everything. They are a unique classification in their solar system and because of those differences they concluded they must be gods. That they must be the reason their world manifested the way it did and so their culture has developed as such. Their lofty ends however are not a representation of their humble beginnings or how they came to the complete understanding they were "gods".

Spoiler: History

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History: The Kamasati began as a simple race of Baswa eaters they did not understand the world around them but they lived in it. They could not speak, they could not smell and interacted through touch they could feel all around them and so were incredibly sensitive to all physical touch and emotions. It was a difficult existence on such a hostile planet to be so sensitive and while they could sense the emotion of other creatures around them. The only beings they could share something "deeper" connection with was their nests. Groups of their own kind. Everything else was viewed as a predator.

The need to farm did not exist nor did the need to organize and so nests remained isolated and life never evolved much past this point. The Kamasati were defenseless and so when they were attacked by Rassa they were merely fed upon as was the natural cycle of the planet. Except it was viewed with great horror and fear as they felt the fear of their own kind being devoured and knew the pain acutely every time one of their number was taken. It drove some of their race to end their own life in a desperate attempt to not feel the same pain their beloved nest members had.

Eventually however one of the Kamasati became desperate some even say insane with fear of the Rassa and tried to develop ways to fight them. This feeling traveled through the whole nest and this fear created the first telekentic abilities of the race. It awoke this single nest of a few dozen Kamasati. The stones on the ground lifted their tentacles told them things were moving. They felt the weight in their minds. Eventually if they all focused they could throw a large stone with their mind hard enough to scare away the Rakka. This seemed to summon the callers to them. Within months of this event the callers arrived with their own incredibly advanced starships and the Kamasati were pressed upon by the immense psychic weight of this mega advanced race.

The Kamasati seemed to morph under this strain. They came to believe they were feeling the minds of their gods. So much more than themselves. They believed these beings to be their creators and reached out desperately and the callers responded using language. They awoke the minds of this once simple herbivore race. The callers did not interfere much after this instead they seemed to only grant the Kamasati "hints" to manifesting their abilities but soon enough they came to realize the importance of permenant shelter, of identity, of faith. All things they never had before.

The nesting wars began. The Kamasati wanted to claim the safest locations across the planet farthest from the Rakka biomes where their predators manifested. They also wanted to make the nests larger and so the nests had to force their will upon their neighbors. While no one died many nests were consumed mentally. They were forced to surrender their will to the will of the shamans of other nests for the first time. Eventually countries were born from this and where before thousands of isolated nests existed across the surface now it was only a few hundred in the highest coldest peaks of the planet forcing many Rakka to hunt them in those mountains.

The Callers taught them how to bend the earth and so defenses were made as was the beginning of technology they began to make items making it easier to work with their psychic powers.

The world grew smaller and smaller nations manifested in these mountain fortresses and soon the Kamasati could fight back and they began to hunt the Rakka back. Still the Rakka were terrible and many Kamasati died and with each death the nation felt it and it drove many mad, others were saddened and would go silent. The Callers felt this pain and so taught them more. They taught them how to close off their mind some and provide more individual thought. They also taught the Kamasati how to build up.

The age of the spires began. Super towers pressed into the endless clouds They abandoned the earth of their planet and lived in the skies. They used their minds and became stronger and by combining their strength they could maintain homes in the sky. It was also learned that when 2 gifted empaths/psychics created children these children tended to be even stronger than their nest and those who birthed them. Breeding programs developed and even wars were started over rumored "gifted" Kamasati. The Callers never interfered. It was said they wanted only the strongest of their kind and so they remained silent. Towers were attacked by other psychics and they would steal one anothers best psychics to make their spires stronger.

These wars destroyed many nations and eventually only 7 rulers remained, masters of all other spires. These intense breeding programs manifested in incredibly powerful beings. These children of the wars became the guardians protectors of their spires. It drew the wars to a stalemate. No one wanted to risk these beings and eventually things plateaued. This was when the callers left. They abandoned the Kamasati. The Kamasati were devestated and feeling the presence of their god disappear shook their race to the core and many died as their minds broke from the loss. The guardians came together as one in that time and from it manifested providence... Truth.

We are the gods now. Our gods have made us as powerful as we need to be. Now we are the dreamers.

The Spiral dancer religion was born. As was the tenants of godhood, the end of war. New purpose was given to the Kamasati. Develop our abilities and create a paradise. Ensure no lessor race can ever harm us and of course find the races the Kamasati had dreamed into existence for like the Callers before them now it was their turn to save those rolling around in the mud.

Spoiler: Terrain

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The origin of the Kamasati world is a fascinating one, it is a world that from a space perspective appears as a gas giant. An incredibly thick layer of dangerous gases coat the entire planet and even the surface of the planet hangs in a persistently thick fog. The fog is so thick in fact that sight upon the planet is near impossible and so no species developed "sight" upon its surface. The fogs scent is also incredibly robust and so scent as well never manifested in the various species evolutionary processes. In fact every species upon the planet exists in some symbiotic level of psychic connection to the life around it.

The planets surface is incredibly cool the gases block most of the heat from the planets far away sun and much of the life on the planet is hardy and can handle very cool tempatures All of the plants on the planet feed on Baswa or the life organisms. The mists of this planet are rich with particles which "feed" many of the species on the planet it is similar to plankton in the oceans of earth and is so innumerable that most do not even presume to even be feeding at all (in fact most species developed ways where they simply just intake the passing Baswa into their flesh). Biomes do exist on the planets surface but its seperated through tears. In several locations the surface of the planet is open and huge tears (volcanos) are spouting large amounts of magma and they warm the surrounding areas creating unique life known as Rassa. Rassa has many unique plants and animal species which feed on other beings on the surface While Baswa feeds so many in these Rassa biomes species developed that devour the flesh of Baswa eaters. These predators are ferocious horrors beautiful and terrible to behold.

Spoiler: Rassa Predators

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Spoiler: Population

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The Kamasati "gods" could most closely be compared to jellyfish on earth in that they have a thin translucent membrane for their flesh and within is all of their "organs" they move almost aethereally from one place to another as they glide through the mists feeding on Baswa as they go. Around them is hundreds of nearly invisible long thin tentacles which give them a sense of what is around them. They communicate through a psychic connection with their race which is in its earliest stages was little more than emotional exchange between beings of the same race to what is now a massively complex language which would take another psychic species years to fully grasp with its subtle exchanges of deep and wistful imagry and information.

The Kamasati have also developed over many millenia a terrifying psychic power. What was once basic communication through communal empathic exchange and breeding between the most powerful psychic Kamasati they began to develop far more. empathic abilities began to become full on psychic mind melds where they could bring together into a world of sensations. It moved on to telekentic abilities where they could manipulate the world around them. It has become so powerful that they can terraform parts of the planet around them and this is where they went from tribes of shamanistic nests into nations.

Spoiler: Resource

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Ascendent seeds are not actually seeds but a biological formula which the Kamasati created. It "awakens" worshipers of the Kamasati and should they survive the process they awaken a level of empathic ability and if they work incredibly hard can even gain some level of psychic ability outside of understanding someones emotional state. It is the key to awakening for the untouched species. Those unable to understand one another can do so through this seed and its a gift to the most reverant of those that look move up the echelons of theocratic belief. among the worlds sheparded by the Kamasati.

Trade post 1: (Kamasati)
Trade post 2: unowned
Trade post 3: unowned

Required Resource: Advanced sensor array
without some empathic connection to other races the vast minds of the pantheon are utterly incapable of reaching destinations. It is reaching out for direction in a sea of darkness. Therefore to continue to save the galaxy they require access to advanced electronic arrays to provide the ability to travel from planet to planet, as the race has no eyes to see they rely entirely on living things to move, and so these are absolutely essential to advanced spaceflight for them.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Spiral Dancers of Kamasati is divine providence. The Kamasati are looking to do what was done before. It is their belief the gods are born from dreams and in turn those dreams create the next generation of gods themselves. As the Kamasati were born from the dreams of the callers and the callers than rose them from their base ways now the Kamasati have that same providence bestowed onto them. They must bring all those they have created out of base truth and enlighten them so the Kamasati can move on to a greater plane and leave their awakened dreams to repeat the process inifinitely. It is the endless dance.

They have only just become gods but they hope one day their "dream children" will become strong enough (tens of thousands of years from now) to take their place so they will no longer be necessary. Still their children are still very young and right now they must very slowly introduce technology to their species until more and more are capable of taking the Ascendant seeds and manifest their abilities. It is an arduous process and will not happen easily. They have sites where they are worshiped and in turn spread their beliefs.
Mount Vispim- On the planet of the gaper race the Moigan they rule as gods on Mount Vispim the highest peak on that world where no member of the Moigan could ever reach them. There a small paradise has been terraformed into existence where the Kamasati rule as gods over this simple race hiding themselves and watching revealing only the smallest of divine truths by whispering in the minds of their worshipers.

Mount Kdoim- On the planet of the gaper race the Xawaq they rule as gods on Mount Kdoim the highest peak on that world where no member of the Xawaq could ever reach them. There a small paradise has been terraformed into existence where the Kamasati rule as gods over this simple race hiding themselves and watching revealing only the smallest of divine truths by whispering in the minds of their worshipers.

Philosophy center 1: The Ascendant Stratum- On the planet of the Kamasati there is a magnificent spire which has recently been retrofitted with a space elevator to feed energy into the single piece of Caller technology that remains on the planets surface. It is a doorway that leads... Somewhere. When one of the Kamasati gods feels they can no longer serve their people. Be it for purposes of wanderlust, that they have grown tired or their minds have become consumed by the thoughts of others they turn to this gate. It is believed that the doorway takes the Kamasati where he is meant to be, some think it leads to the callers themselves others believe it leads to races recently dreamed into existence who need to be awakened others believe it leads to eternal peaceful sleep. No one is sure but over the years many have stepped through and none have returned.

Spoiler: Gapers

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Gapers is an insulting name for those races with holes in their head. The gods watch over these dream children who live on the nearby planets surrounding their own.

The Moigan- They are currently in the equivelant age of nests (egalitarian/tribal) and are only beginning to grow into larger villages. None of them have any psychic abilities and so only a select few are chosen to hear the mind whispers of their gods. Only a handful have been given the Ascendent seeds only one has survived eating the seeds but he now leads a growing village using the emotions he senses as a tool to rally his people.


The Xawaq- They are currently in the equivelant age of nations (Roman) there are organized temples that worship the Kamasati and spiral dancer faith is everywhere even different ideologies are manifesting as are heretical faiths (Which the Kamasati do not try to stamp out but they do abandon their whispers to such followers) many different rulers and nations are being born.

Five levels of psychic ability

Spoiler

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0- These are known as dream children or gapers. These beings developed mouths because they have no ability to communicate in any conceivable way other than primitive speech.

1- Empath most Kamasati started this way but have over thousands of years become more. Very few remain in such a sad primitive state. Though a few dream children have reached this point through hard work.

2- have enhanced psychic speech, can communicate advanced ideas fluently. In very large groups they can have some limited control of the enviroment (60% of the population exists as level 2 psychics among the Kamasati)

3- Known as Kuuru or shamans they have enhanced psychic speech, can communicate advanced ideas fluently and when grouped with a dozen other Kamasati can bend the land to their will lift stone and engage in work that changes the world around them. They make up 30% of the population.

4-Known as Xix or high gods/kings these beings alone have enhanced psychic speech, can communicate advanced ideas, can bend the land to some extent on their own and have even developed some minor ability unique to them. They are believed to dream other races into existence.

5- Known as Prator or guardian they can do what all others can but are also advanced enough to bare the weapons and armor made only for a chosen few. They can rip ships apart with psychic thought. They can change the world around them with ease and are the protectors of the gods. (Just 1 of them counts as a whole unit in combat) they make up less than 1% of the population.) They are believed to dream solar systems into existence.

[DionysisReborn]

Rocthurhi

Communication Disclaimer:
The Rocthurhi are psychicly empathic, and when communicating often project sound/images/ideas that might be familiar to the listener to accompany the words they are speaking. This will be conveyed using the following format:

Words that are spoken<image/sound/idea accompanying the words> and words continue.

Spoiler: System

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The Thylla system contains a number of stars with orbiting bodies of inert rock and basic gases, but there are only two planets in the system with the right properties for life. Ghath is a planet with primitive lifeforms, nothing sentient, animals simply foraging and fighting for survival. Thuum, however is the mostly aquatic home of the Rochthurhi.

Both planets have basic mineral content, but not in sizable enough amounts to be significant. With the surface of Thuum being 80% water, extraction of these minerals is even more difficult, but it does have a very diverse population of aquatic flora and fauna.

Spoiler: People

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The Rocthurhi are an intelligent race of amphibious dodecapods. While they prefer aquatic environments and often have on-land buildings that contain rooms full of water, they are able to survive indefinitely above water if the atmospheric humidity is high enough. Rocthurhi average approximately 140 kg with a 14 meter span when the tentacles are spread.

Their work spaces are often divided based solely on whether the work can be performed under water or above. Electrical work and industrial manufacturing happen almost exclusively above the waterline, but they can do some metal work underwater in areas where volcanic vents provide enough heat.

Given the lack of lungs or vocal chords, Rocthurhi communicate primarily with a series of clicking sounds made with their mouth and the sharing of ideas through a form of psychic empathy. Additionally, they do have limited hearing, only spanning the 300-2000 Hz audio range.

Rocthurhi do not have gender differentiation, and are hermaphroditic. They have an average lifespan of 70-85 years, and produce litters of around 100-150 young. Life-mating is rare, but not unheard of. Rochturhi typically socialize in pods ranging from 40-75 individuals and it is fairly common that they mate with several members of their pod.

Spoiler: History

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At some point in unrecorded history, experts estimate somewhere close to 15 million years ago, the entirely aquatic dodecapods began evolving minor lung systems, allowing them to survive above the waterline. Over the course of those many millions of years, the Rocthurhi developed a written language that allowed record keeping and organized communication, which allowed for the slow advancement of technology.

In the past two centuries the Rocthurhi have developed automated computing technology, figured out how to make it work under the water, and, in spite of thier underwater preference, have even been attempting travel into the sky and upper atmosphere. There has been conversation of attempting travel into space, but the idea of being so far from a large source of water and the potential prolonged social isolation have slowed that particular advancement.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Given the inherent desire for socialization and congregation together, as well as scientific research into fundamental quantum particles and unified force theory, it is not surprising that the Rocthurhi generally believe in the One-ness of all life. The principles of One-ness have been found in documents dating back to the earliest writings and no one is quite sure who came up with the idea, but it is one that most Rocthurhi support in both their social interaction and their technological advancement.

Learning Center: The Nexus of Currents
The Nexus of Currents is an underwater complex of building designed to function as a school, library, and communal gathering place. It is here that the science, philosophy, and social ideals of One-ness are taught and discussed. It is the single largest single building complex on the bottom of the ocean and, as the name suggests, is placed in a location that is as accessible as possible to all major oceanic currents.

Spoiler: Resources

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One of the largest industrial advancements the Rocthurhi managed was the ability to harvest the Methane Gas (Fuel) from areas where particular underwater flora grew densely. There are currently several large collection and refinement complexes for the gas.

With the difficulties present in underwater mining, most efforts go towards practical uses, such as hard metal. This does provide a high demand among the population on Thuum for Precious Minerals, and there is growing concern that, with demand increasing, resources may be diverted from needed projects.

Spoiler: Leader

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Due to the vastness of the ocean and the lack of terrain, except on the ocean floor, national or district borders are a hard concept for the Rocthuri to really implement, so most decisions are made locally via pod consensus, but when large scale decisions or sweeping regulations are needed, the Rocthuri can congregate into larger groups and, through consensus, elect a leader. A consensus was recently called to help with some of the confusion and trepidation in regards to space flight, and Faugloglys is the currently elected Official.

Faugloglys
Diplomacy: 3
Military: 2
Economy: 5
Philosophy: 4
Intrigue: 3

[Wizard_Lizard]

These are the Draaxerri Supraterrans

Stats for both Archdraaxi (Selephine Spyte (Magistraax), an Weezil Spyndel (Civitax)
Diplomacy:1
Military:5
Economy:3
Philosophy:2
Intrigue:1

rolls

Spoiler: Region

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Space, they live in giant spaceships that fly through the void, the ships (Supraterran Shuttles) have their own ecosystems, with highly efficient plant life (Aeolaax) providing oxygen. The system that they usually inhabit is known as the Aaxian system. There are very few planets in the Aaxian system, mostly containing lots of asteroids, which the Draaxerri mine for fuel.

Spoiler: Supraterran Shuttles

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Supraterran Shuttles are surprisingly not that big, each one is only the size of a small town, they vary in layout, but every one of them has a greenhouse (For Errixaath fruit). From the outside, ships look like a large black and green cylinder.
Every house on the Supraterran shuttles has one of the precious Aeolaax plants. Providing Oxygen for the inhabitants. The largest shuttle is known as Supraterra Prime is about the size of a small moon, and houses the elite of the Draaxerri, most notably the two Aarchdraaxi, the Princedraaxi, and the Loquitaax. Supraterra prime also holds the Matraeol, the mother of the Aeolaax.

Spoiler: People

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The people refer to themselves as Draaxerri, and they combined a lot of races into their ranks, the original Draaxerri, however, look human, but have dark eyes, and pale, white scales and sharp teeth. They are also abnormally tall, due to their low exposure to gravity. Their average lifespan is just under 200 years. Draaxerri aren't as reliant as other species on Oxygen, but still need it to survive, hence the Aeolaax

Spoiler: History

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The original Draaxerri were a race who lived on the planet; Draaxithar, however the planet became choked with poisonous fog (No-one knows why, but the Civitax blame technology, and the Magistraax blame terrorists, or natural causes), and the few survivors migrated into space. There they travelled around space, on their Supraterran shuttles, occasionally trading with other planets for spare parts, technology, and the like.

Spoiler: Government

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The Draaxerri are a largely democratic people, with a council of 27 Princedraaxerri being elected roughly every 20 years.
There are two ArchDraaxi elected from the Princedraaxerri every 5 years, one from each of the two leading factions.
There is also The Loquitaax, who is consider above the government. His job is to talk to other species, and provide the opinion of the current ArchDraaxi, they is in their job for life. The current Loguitaax is Loquitaax Vinal Spuink.
The leading factions are the Magistraax, and the Civitax. The former having Knowledge as their goal, the latter having the good of the people..
The current two Archdraaxi are Seliphine Spyte of the Magistraax, and Weezil Spyndel of the Civitax.

Spoiler: Resources

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The Draaxerri have all of their food dealt with from the plants that are grown in their greenhouses. Their fruit (Errixath) tastes bitter, but edible, and has enough nutrition to sustain the average Draaxerri for a day.
Livestock (mostly the cow like bisolaa) are kept divided among the ships in the fleet.

Primary export: Aeolaax (The Oxygen producing plant)

Spoiler: Aeolaax

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Aeolaax looks like a small dark vine, with tendrils clinging to lots of surfaces, all Aeolaax come from the Matraeol, a large green of interweaving Aeolaax that inhabits Supraterra Prime. The Matraeol possesses at least limited sentience,

Aeolaax requires only small amounts of minerals to survive, and sunlight, decomposing them, and turning them into oxygen and nutrients. Other species want Aeolaax so that they can breathe in space, but, when taken from close proximity of the Matraeol (Supraterran shuttles are close enough) before beginning to decay, only lasting a few months before full rotting.

Primary import: Fuel

Spoiler: Why the Draaxerri want fuel

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The Draaxerri are a curious folk, and wish to discover new species and planets, however, their own system is almost devoid of life, therefore, they need fuel to explore other systems. They can harvest fuel from the many asteroids, but doing so is very inefficient, therefore they often trade for fuel among other lifeforms, to power their ships.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Draaxerri have two primary philosophies.
The Magistraax are obsessed with knowledge, while the Civitax represent the people.
Leaders for the Magistraax are chosen for their intellect, while Civitax leaders are democratically elected.
There is also a church dedicated to their one god: Draakili, the founder of their first supraterran shuttle.
The church holds three Representants in the Princedraaxerri council.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

The Kronin



ALL HAIL THE GLORIOUS KING-GENERAL KRAZKUL!!!

Rolls http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-Thread!/page2
Diplomacy 3
Military 5
Economy 4
Philosophy 2
Intrigue 4

Spoiler: Terrain

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Kroznar is a hot hellscape of a planet orbiting a red giant star. The planet's surface is covered in difficult mountainous terrain with frequent lava seas due to the planets molten core. The planet is predominantly large rings of black volcanic mountains which within are seas of lava, huge baren blood red deserts, landscapes made of spires of volcanic glass, or huge sinkholes that open to cave networks. The seas of lava as inhospitable as it may seem bear many kinds of life. Large barren deserts of red sand stretch out where little to no life can survive under the burning red light of the star (Zakrzt). The Volcanic glass spires are dominated by dangerous beasts and work well as hunting ground… assuming you survive. The sinkholes and cave networks are where the civilization thrives. Being close to the planets molten core the heat energy keeps life going in a civilization that predominantly are metal workers. The cave systems extend into the mountains which function as military bases and are used to watch the skies for meteors.

Due to the planets close proximity to the sun and the way it orbits there is no such thing as night. Because of the tragic history of the solar system, Kroznar orbits its star in the middle of an asteroid and space junk belt.

Kronzar has 5 moons orbiting it. 2 of them are piles of space junk held together by large magnets at the center. These are used by scrappers who salvage the best pieces of metal or occasionally semi-functional pieces of tech. The other 3 are rocks with no particular purpose

Spoiler: Population

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The population of this plant, known as Kron (or Kronins), are cold-blooded creatures that slightly resemble scaly humans but bulkier. They have very thick skin due to the molten heat levels within the planet and can see infrared radiation which makes them great hunters and warriors. The inhabitants of this planet are from birth trained for combat and are tested in the obsidian glass fields when they come of age. The ones that survive become part of regular society. This type of trial is sustainable due to the hive like structure of their nurseries which much like insects are communal and attended by specialty designated members of society. While not training the inhabitants strive to improve life by inventing things. Typically weapons. To fight off the various creatures living on the planet. They worship Water and Ice as gods for few have ever seen water or felt cold. They also seek any form of comfort like fabric or clothes or space gerbils because their planet is made of rock and metal and the softest thing on the planet is the lava. The Kron don't need to eat to live and they will go into a form of hibernation if food gets low, absorbing minerals from the rocks around them and being fueled by the heat energy of there planet. Though most do eat, meat, in particular, specifically the meat of the various quasi-dragons and giant serpents that dwell on the planet

Spoiler: History

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The solar system was once a popular place in the galaxy bustling with life. But when the Callers left, this beautiful area started to collapse. This turmoil ended when the sun began to expand becoming a red giant and destroying a large portion of the solar system and turning the rest into a wasteland. A few beings survived and began to evolve to suit this new barely habitable area and after a while the new dominant life the Kron. After many generations, the population forgot about the old catastrophe just referring to the event as the undoing. Ever since they have been salvaging pieces of old tech and weapons left over from the Unmaking.

Spoiler: Government

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The Kron government is quite strict because any Kron that leaves the society will almost certainly die and the punishment for cowardness or disobedience is exile. The laws are voted on by the general public (they almost never change) and enforced by the King-General. The society has no real social class only a military one where the higher rank you are the more people you have control of, the King-General being at the top. Because of the hardships of life the Kron rarely if ever question their ruler and will follow him into battle whenever needed. He alone has supreme power. Although the laws are strictly enforced the people are allowed to what they want and social life is uninhibited by government. The King-General does not control what jobs the people choose to take except that every citizen is part of the military. When a king General dies in battle the next highest ranking Officer takes his place.

Spoiler: Recources

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While Kronzar is a desolate wasteland there are rich supplies of valuable old scrap metal and tech.
Durasteel Is a metal alloy mined from the planet or surrounding planets cores. This metal is incredibly tough and lightweight making it incredibly useful for buildings, weapons, ships and because of its conductivity various technologies.
Trade Port 1 Outpost 646 (Kronin)
Trade Port 2 RMS, Uplink 1 (open)
Trade Port 3 The Connector (open)

Comfort: Because they live in a world of rock, sharp glass, and hot lava. The Kron want anything that will improve the quality of life. They highly value things like fabrics, furs, and modern conveniences (preferably flame retardant ones)

Spoiler: Philosiphy

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Laws Of Flame: The philosophy on Kronzar is taken very seriously by the people and consists of 4 rules.
Your first loyalty is to the King-General. You will honor his word and not dispute it.
Die for your nation. You will not hesitate to die to protect your nation and the society
Honor in death. It is better to die fighting than live as a coward.
Survive. If you get killed you are weak (assuming it was not in a war). That is why you were picked off.

[TheDarkDM]

The Vilari Star League

Regions X-14, Y-13, W-13, V-14, X-12, W-19, W-17, V-12, Y-15, Z-14

The Star League Charter

As the territories of matured species expand, and we confront growing threats from without and within, it is resolved that we gathered here affirm our principles. We, the people of the Star League, do make known these policies in hope for a brighter future for the galaxy.

We Are Resolved

• To defend the sovereign right of every species, organic or synthetic, to self-government, or to equitable representation as equal partners in greater galactic powers.
  
• To safeguard, by that same principle, the rights of any lesser power when threatened by an outside aggressor.
  
• To guarantee the sovereign borders of all member states, through diplomacy if possible, but if necessary through force of arms.
  
• To pledge our might to the eradication of those forces which threaten the continued prosperity of all species, within and without the League.
  
• To pursue technological advancement, both civilian and military, and to freely proliferate these advancements among League members.
  
• To ensure the free and open movement of trade between our borders, absent onerous or unequal duties.
  
• To seek out and preserve the knowledge of Axiom’s progenitor species, that we might gain their wisdom and avoid their downfall.
  
• To promote cultural exchange of beliefs and ideals, so that social progress and better standards of life might be realized.
  
• To form a unified council to serve as adjudicator in cases of conflict between League members, and under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of galactic law can be maintained.

The Vilari Sodality

Region X-14

Spoiler: Region

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The Vilari are native to Raphos, the third planet orbiting a young main sequence star they call Tsalvan. This terrestrial planet appears deeply inhospitable from orbit, its equatorial region consumed by silver-grey desert and towering mountain ranges, with surface water and flora only becoming abundant near the polar regions. Closer examination reveals the scars of apocalyptic weapons, the echoes of a distant period in Vilari history called the Hour of Grief. It is on this ocean of sand that the Vilari make their homes, erecting towering coral-cities that extend far beneath the surface even as their towers scrape the heavens. Travel between these bastions of civilization is accomplished via subterranean tunnels or aerial craft, leaving the deep desert a haven for those few creatures that can thrive in its unforgiving expanse. Meanwhile, the comparatively idyllic forests and hill country of the poles is untouched by Vilari civilization, maintained as a pair of vast preserves for the majority of Raphos's native fauna. Two small moons, Dozh and Pela, orbit the planet, each glittering in the night sky with their own nascent metropoli.

Beyond the skies of Raphos, the three inner planets of Tsalvan are ringed by an uncharacteristically dense asteroid belt, beyond which lies an array of twelve planets and dwarf-planets. The planet closest to the star is little more than a burning rock, too small and hostile to be of note. However the second planet, Karatas, is ringed by six orbital habitats affecting the gradual terraforming of the seething methane atmosphere into one capable of supporting Vilari life. The asteroid belt itself is studded with automated mining stations and refineries, along with three habitats drilled into the surface of the largest dwarf-planets in the belt.

The outer planets of the Tsalvan system consist of four gas giants occupying the fifth, seventh, eighth, and tenth orbital rings, interspersed with six terrestrial but uninhabitable planets ranging between one half and twice Raphos's mass, along with a pair of gas dwarfs called the Sapphire Dancers held in binary orbit around each other in Tsalvan's fourth orbital ring. This part of the system is lightly inhabited save for a massive fuel extraction station positioned at the balancing point of the Sapphire Dancers. The furthest point of Vilari civilization in the system is something of an oddity, then, an expansive Shoal Station orbiting the outermost planet, Yphon. Equipped with multiple docking stations and complete diplomatic suites, it seems custom built for first contact with not one but a dozen races.

Spoiler: People

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Descended from sapient aquatic life, Vilari still bear the markings of their watery cradle. While those encountered in space are girded in sleek cybernetic encounter suits, their uncovered heads reveal finely-scaled faces beneath ornate crests of cartilage and bone. Scale pigmentation among the Vilari varies between most shades of red and blue, accentuated by patterns of bio-luminescence that continue into the ornamentation of their suits. While natural Vilari eyes are black orbs, the ubiquitous gene therapy and mechanical augmentation of their spacefarers grants them disconcertingly intense irises, which allow them to perceive wavelengths of light invisible to their ancestors. Girded in an encounter suit, the average Vilari rises to a standing height of just over two meters, slender bipedal frames with two slightly overlong arms. Their digitigrade legs end in a tripod of thick toes, while their hands feature five fingers and an opposable thumb. No Vilari has been observed outside their encounter suit, though with time some trusted race may yet learn what lies beneath ceramic and circuit.

The surface of Raphos also hosts a second species of intelligent life, though their pre-industrial civilizations are isolated to the verdant polar regions of the planet. The feathered Hiran are reptilian bipeds, comparable in most ways to humanity save for their cold-blooded nature. They exist in near-total ignorance of the galactic civilization sharing their planet, the Vilari relegated to the roles of angels or demons in their religious systems. For their part, the Vilari encourage this distance, zealously guarding the Hiran from any influence that might disrupt their developing culture.

Spoiler: History

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Vilari history begins beneath the surface of Raphos, in the darkness of subterranean seas where their ancestors lived and died in ignorance of the world above. The events of a thousand forgotten songs transpired in that limited universe, until at last a Vilari thought to step from the warm embrace of the deep into the cold dark of a mountain tunnel. The first sight of an alien sky is said to have overwhelmed that nameless explorer, but countless more followed in his wake. The Vilari emerged onto the brutal surface of Raphos’s deserts, adapting over time to master their new frontier. The age of expansion saw the invention of the first encounter suit, and as the resources of the surface flowed down, the first Coral City rising from the depths. Science, art, and philosophy flourished as previously isolated groups met and exchanged ideas. But it was not to last.

As the reach of the Coral Cities expanded, so too did their lust for power. A century of cooperation and discourse began to cool, as secrets were hoarded and old divides emerged anew. The Vilari’s first taste of war on the surface was a limited skirmish, but the torn bodies of their dead only stoked the fires threatening to consume the species. Much of the following century’s history is lost, save for the Hour of Grief. In one night, each of the great cities unleashed their hidden weapons in a bid for ultimate victory, scouring vast stretches of the planet and laying waste to every faction.

The Vilari emerged from the ashes a changed species. Stunned into a kind of species-wide amnesia by the horrors they had witnessed, feuds decades old were cast aside as they came together to rebuild. What science survived the Hour of Grief was carefully culled, lest another apocalyptic revelation lead to the extinction of the species. The Coral cities retreated back underground, and would not crest the desert sands until a generation that knew nothing of war had come of age. Freed of the stranglehold of planetary ambition, the Vilari turned their eyes to the stars, eventually slipping the surly bonds of Raphos to see the infinite. While their culture has long recovered from their warlike past, the lessons have not faded from the Vilari psyche. The Way of Tides was born to give words to the deeply-felt bonds that emerged in the years of rebuilding, and violence against another Vilari remains their most serious taboo.

Spoiler: Government

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While every Vilari Reef exists as an essentially independent city-state, they recognize the need for a central government when dealing with stellar politics. Accordingly, the twenty-four most populous and powerful Vilari states each appoint a single representative to the Circle of Seers. This group of potent politicians, academics, philosophers, and commanders sequester themselves aboard a special habitat above the planet’s surface, thereby removing themselves to a position of relative anonymity. The Seers vote in secret on matters of national import, operating under the theory that freedom from local pressures will allow them to operate in pursuit of the greater good. One member is elected from among them as Speaker, to serve so long as their ability and endurance allow. While nominally of equal standing with their fellow Seers, those that ascend to the rank of Speaker are possessed of immense power, not least in their position as the voice of the Vilari to the other races of the galaxy.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Way of Tides
The Way of Tides is a philosophy of community, as both nurturing family and shield against pain. It is known that calamity and celebration do not come from virtue or sin, but as equal and opposite forces in a flow that envelops the cosmos. It is not possible to predict when or how hardship might come, only to endure suffering. And in enduring, grow strong with the knowledge of better days on the horizon. A rock that stands in blind ignorance is worn by the tides, destined to become naught but sand. But a people that bind together in defiance of the darkness will grow to reach the sun even in the blackest depths. Honor your neighbor even in times of strife, for their blood is your blood. Honor your friends, that two beacons in the night might shine as one. Honor your enemy, for in their rage they test you, and in their defeat lurks the possibility of redemption. Above all, never surrender to silence or solitude.

Philosophy Center: The Frozen Sea
Situated in one of the most desolate stretches of Raphos's equatorial desert is a circle of glass over fifty kilometers in diameter. Heat rippling off the frozen dunes and drifts gives the impression of an eternally roiling sea, serving as a singular focus for meditation and introspection. The Coral City of Siidun perches on the edge of the expanse, and is a hub of philosophical thought and avant-garde art.

Spoiler: Resources

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Dark Energy Elements [Arcana]
Though they appear entirely mundane, the asteroids ringing Tsalvan hide a singular treasure. Roughly 10% of them have been infused with isotopes unknown outside Caller relics, causing the formation of crystalline lattices binding stellar silica and dark matter. When these opalescent crystals are isolated and excited, they produce a concentrated burst of dark energy, its particles and waveforms capable of manipulating conventional matter in ways that defy current physical law.

Required Resource: Refined Minerals
While the stellar bodies of Tsalvan provide a wealth of raw materials, the realities of the Vilari homeworld leave them under-equipped to meet the demands of a stellar empire. The ubiquity of silicone on the surface of Raphos made ceramics an attractive avenue for Vilari materials science, and while refined metals are slowly being introduced as replacements they require a vastly increased supply of composit materials to maintain their expansion.

The Rillian Shoals

Region Y-13

Spoiler: Region

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Bereft of life or any noteworthy resources, this system showed little of interest during the Vilari’s first expeditions. On the cusp of classifying the region as dead space, a final probe was dispatched, charting a parabolic path through a cluster of unremarkable stars. It was at the center of this cluster that the probe detected the great sphere, and everything changed. With the sphere as a reference point, the seemingly random patterns of the stars around it became something else, revealing stellar engineering on a staggering scale. Each star was arrayed in a latticed orbit with its fellows, creating a mandala of gravitational force. Anything crossing one of these spatial currents was dragged inexorably towards the great sphere, slowly discorporating due to the stress of the capture. At the edge of the sphere’s system, little remains but flowing clouds of stellar dust, appearing to the Vilari as vast schools of diamond-scaled fish flowing with the tide. Initially caught in one of these consuming eddies, it was only the Gravity Latch Drive that enabled the Vilari vessel to escape and chart a safe approach to the sphere.

Spoiler: People

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Initially identified as “Floobers,” closer contact with the synthetic inhabitants of the Rillian Sphere revealed the name to be the result of incomplete translation. More properly the Fluiform Curators, the inhabitants of the sphere appear socially as squat, three foot tall bipeds with silver skin and angular features not dissimilar from an adult human’s save one feature - a flat plane where a human’s eyes might be. Whether this is some simulacrum of their long-vanished creators or a form unique to the Curators is unknown, but it is in truth an illusion. Each Curator is in fact a linked network of nanites, capable of taking any shape supported by their mass, or forming part of a larger whole with groups of their kind. Scattered across the interior of the Rillian Sphere, their days are occupied in the continued maintenance of the sphere and production of their own kind, a task that has become increasingly difficult as the great construct succumbs to the ravages of time.

Spoiler: History

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Though inhabited by purely synthetic lifeforms and possessed of vast memory arrays in its control centers, much of the Rillian Sphere’s history has been lost. Files copied along a hundred generations have broken down, crystal-lattice drives have fragmented, and the result is a people with only a hazy sense of their purpose or providence. What is known is that the sphere was once part of a vast military machine, one of several eternal factories supplying material to some apocalyptic struggle lost to time. The victors are unknown, but a victory was achieved, thought all evidence points to it being a pyrrhic one. The sphere was left abandoned, its makers unable or unwilling to return, doomed to year after year of static and decay. Some of the Curators went mad and were purged, further damaging the most sensitive components of the machine. More than anything, the descendants of the original Curators long for a purpose. But while they live in peace, every part of them is built for war.

Spoiler: Government

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Bereft of ambition or guile, the Curators are organized around their location within the Rillian Sphere and the responsibilities entrusted to them. Certain Curators are built with additional nanite mass, specifically allocated to interfacing with and guiding their standard brethren. These Administrators, in turn, routinely interface with the sphere’s vast intranet, allowing near instantaneous communication between the various branches of the Curator’s civilization.

Spoiler: Resources

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Tellurim [Great]

While much of the Rillian Sphere’s composition bears some resemblance to modern alloys and materials, much of its superstructure bears the signs of truly alien materials science. The root of this is Tellurim, a mineral unknown in the wider galaxy. By exposing elemental iron to the superheated crucible of the sphere’s plasma refineries, a transition metal similar to vanadium can be extracted. However, Tellurim’s crystalline lattice endures the decomposition of its iodide, enabling more stable chemical permutations. Tellurim alloys and ceramics are among the hardest and most durable substances in the known galaxy, and account for both the sphere’s remarkable condition and the fearsome capabilities of its inhabitants.

The Gardens of Leira

Region W-13

Spoiler: Region

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Named for the vast nebula occupying its core, the Gardens of Leira appear as nothing but a celestial anomaly to passive scans. Though a stunning aurora of kaleidoscopic colors to the naked eye, the outer edges of the gas cloud produce sufficient radiation to dissuade any close inspection. However, this potent defense proved insufficient against ships outfitted for GLD travel, and on entering the nebula a far more interesting picture emerged. Passing through the outer band of opalescent gases, the nebula separates and shifts, revealing a core of esoteric symbols light-minutes in diameter. Drawn and redrawn by a precise array of thirteen stars, these runes of particle and light both maintain the defensive wall of radiation and bless the area with uncommon bounty. The stars in the nebula’s array possess habitable zones far larger than can be explained by science alone, resulting in at least one habitable planet orbiting each. The revolutions of these garden worlds, by some quirk of mystical alignment, empower the nebula in turn.

Spoiler: People

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While the Gardens of Leira possess twenty-one inhabited worlds, none possess truly native intelligent life. Instead, the Gardens are peopled by a melange of alien races, the most numerous being Human, Lyraen, and Tal-Amanyn. Culturally isolated communities across the Gardens are rare, with most groups commingling regardless of origin. Every inhabitant of the Gardens is descended from those seekers who followed Leira’s call, and thus each bears a shared destiny that binds them more closely than blood.

Spoiler: History

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Despite the scholarly inclinations of the Gardens’ inhabitants, much of their early history exists only in an oral record. It is said that the region the Gardens now occupy was little more than dead space before the coming of Leira. Who, or even what, she was has been forgotten, but she arrived from elsewhere and discovered the Star Heart. It was young then, and brimming with the energy of the universe’s first breath. She harnessed that incredible power, arranging stars and planets according to her own grand design. Like a god, she set in motion the celestial dance that breathed life into the worlds of the Gardens, and erected a mighty ward to protect her creation. Then, in her days of rest, she sent out a call across the stars, seeking acolytes and adherents to hear and join in her song.

Leira’s call inspired a small trickle of seekers, each a mystic of their people and drawn by the undeniable pull of the Star Heart. The energies of the Heart, channeled through the vast planetary array of Leira’s creation, enabled them to cross the intervening distances at a speed only dreamed of before the advent of GLD. As they grew, they spread across the planets Leira had gifted them, departing her sanctuary to establish monasteries and colleges of their own. Leira’s will was carried in their hearts, and thus she spread across the system. It was a peace that lasted for centuries. A peace that could not last.

The true identity of The Dragon has been expunged from the Gardens’ history, but it is known that he arrived like so many others as a seeker. Yet in his heart he harbored a hidden and insatiable hunger for power, and even as he joined in Leira’s song he sought to twist it to his own ends. Slowly, carefully, he wormed his way into Leira’s confidence, until he was allowed access to her holiest sanctum. And there, he struck. The Dragon and his followers fell upon the Tower of the Star Heart like a swarm of locusts, killing and looting with rapacious appetite. And at the center of it all, The Dragon contested against Leira. Her wisdom and power were greater, but even in the light of the Star Heart age had crept upon her. At a critical juncture, her strength failed, and she was consumed in azure flames. The Dragon’s victory was short-lived, however, as Leira’s death cry resonated through the very Star Heart itself. Long centuries of use had forged a bond between the artifact and the arch-wizard, and in her passing the gem...shattered. The Dragon died in the light of his prize, and Leira’s tower was obliterated. The shards of the Star Heart were scattered across the Gardens, eventually to be claimed by greedy wizard-lords obsessed with its awesome power.

Spoiler: Government

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Prior to its integration into the Sodality, the Gardens of Leira lacked any centralized government. Instead, it operated as a loose confederation of settlements, each traditionally led by their most senior wizard. Nominally these magisters existed as a circle of equals, but in reality most owed their allegiance to one of the five Sapphire Lords. These wizards, so named for their possession of one of the great shards of the Star Heart, possessed some small measure of Leira’s power, and were thus the uncontested inheritors to her legacy. However, as might be expected, the insular world of the Gardens gradually devolved into stagnant intrigue as magisters plotted to become Sapphire Lords themselves. The arrival of the Vilari sent a seismic shock through their society, and in a rare moment of clarity each of the current Sapphire Lords pledged themselves to the ideals of the Way of Tides. The five now act as members of the Seer Council, while the day to day operations of the Garden continue largely unchanged.

Spoiler: Resources

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Solar Sapphires [Great]

While the Star Heart was a singular wonder of the galaxy, pale reflections of its glory exist across the Gardens. These shining blue crystals draw energy from the mystic resonance of the stars themselves, storing vast quantities of power. A single sapphire is enough to reliably fuel a personal vehicle, while a sufficient array is the equal to a starship's main reactor.

The Bezhuq Reach

Region V-14

Spoiler: Region

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Composed of hundreds of stars, most of the Bezhuq Reaches is of interest only to stellar cartographers and exo-geologists. Three sectors of the region, however, have become increasingly trafficked since the incursion of outside powers. The greatest of these is the planet Siruk, an arid terrestrial planet orbiting a yellow star. The homeworld of the Bezhuq people for whom the region is named, Siruk is riven with primordial mountain ranges bordering expansive plains, with the equatorial regions marked by widespread desertification. Three oceans divide the land, though they occupy only 50% of the planet’s surface area. From orbit, large shadow-spots on the plains give the impression the planet has suffered orbital bombardment, but closer examination reveals the planet’s most distinctive feature. Driven by both climatological and religious factors, the Siruk have established the majority of their settlements in deep bore-holes, layering residential, agricultural, and industrial zones atop each other in vast subterranean arcologies.

A nearby star holds the second location of note, though it draws little civilian traffic. Orbiting a deep orange gas giant is a compact moon that has been almost entirely excavated by the Star League navy. Vast facilities for dry dock, logistics, and command and control have been constructed beneath hardpoints of iron-rich rock, to serve as fleet command for the Star League’s western border. Picket ships and attack cruisers are common sights in and around the base, referred to as Amol Syr, safeguarding the inner reaches of the Star League.

Finally, three star systems north of Siruk stands one of the Bezhuq’s greatest achievements. Nestled in a primordial garden world is a colony established by a generation ship sent out more than a century before the Maturation. Functionally isolated from their homeworld, the inhabitants of Founder’s Promise were shocked at the arrival of Vilari survey vessels, though the luxury of communications with their descendants and access to the galactic economy were greatly appreciated.

Spoiler: People

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The Bezhuq are a bipedal race, with a profile similar to humans. They are distinguished by their chalk-white skin, hairless oblong skull, and third eye centered in their forehead. Outside their homes, the Bezhuq never leave their faces uncovered, often combining brightly-painted masks with flowing head scarves that proclaim their lineage and allegiance. Organized into extended family units, the Bezhuq practice generational industries, training their children in highly ritualized apprenticeships. Bezhuq arcologies, called sichs, can house anywhere from a dozen to nearly one hundred such groups, unified by intermarriage and family alliances that sometimes go back centuries. Interactions between these communities are universally competitive, with each Bezhuq sich jockeying for greater wealth and influence than their neighbors. This in turn has led to complex webs of economic rivalry and alliance across the planet, as neighbors turn to more distant Bezhuq cultures for mutual advantage.

Spoiler: History

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Through most of their history, the Bezhuq were a nomadic people, travelling their barely-hospitable planet in routes that kept them in the most hospitable climes year-round. As their technology and culture grew, rare enclaves were established in mountain strongholds and significant oases to act as bastions of last-resort for weary travelers and nexuses of communication for the disparate Bezhuq tribes. However the arrival of the Grey Visitor changed the course of their history irrevocably. Descending on pillars of fire, the Grey Visitor’s arrival drew the attention of several nearby tribes, all of which journeyed to the Visitor’s palace of black steel. There, they heard the voice of something they assumed was a god, though they did not recognize the language. The first Bezhuq brave enough to approach the palace was incinerated by a wall of light, and her fellows immediately prostrated themselves.

Over the following days, the Visitor spoke to the Bezhuq several times, the alien interloper slowly learning their language from intercepted transmissions. The Visitor had been drawn to the planet by signs of iridium, and slowly began to manipulate the Bezhuq into providing it. Within ten years, most of the tribes had been relocated from their nomadic routes to areas the Visitor wanted excavated, shielded by the miraculous “gifts” of the alien as they began to bore deep in search of their planet’s bounty. These ramshackle mining camps grew into towns, and eventually cities, the gifts from the Visitor increasing as the Bezhuq pulled fortunes from the earth. Dazzled by the Visitor’s seemingly infinite power, the Bezhuq became a willing slave race, their faiths twisting to venerate the voice from the steel palace even as their eyes fell from the horizon to the darkness of the mine. Until, one day, the Visitor disappeared. Perhaps the wealth of the Bezhuq had finally satisfied the alien. Perhaps they had been driven off by some other celestial traveller. Whatever the case, the Bezhuq were left adrift.

Separated from the singular will that had guided them for a hundred years, recriminations were quick in coming. Every sich blamed the others for offending the Visitor, with the last sich to provide a shipment to the steel palace coming under attack from its neighbors within days of the departure. Using the borrowed technology of their vanished god, the Bezhuq spent months searching for answers, to no avail. Years passed, and despite their sudden freedom the work in the mines continued. Much of the Visitor’s technology had been driven by the strange silver metals that riddled Siruk’s crust, and whatever remained was stockpiled as an offering for the Visitor’s inevitable return. And with every day that return did not come, the eyes of the Bezhuq lifted once more towards the stars.

Spoiler: Government

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Given the level of animosity between the various sichs, there is little in the way of planetary government on Siruk. What organization exists only came into being recently, as alien explorers opened the Bezhuq’s eyes to the truth of the galaxy and the potential identity of the Visitor. While the elders of the sichs attempted to control the flow of information, first contact still resulted in six months of riots across the planet as the entire foundation of Bezhuq belief was thrown into question. The most prominent sichs quickly formed a confederation to better combat the internal strife, and it is this body that received the Vilari invitation to join the Star League.

Spoiler: Resources

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Platinum Metals [Great]

The crust of Siruk, as well as many of the planets and planetoids in surrounding solar systems, boasts an unusually high concentration of platium-group metals. Comprising ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, these metals are highly sought after both for their use in various manufactured goods and their status as precious metals.

The Tel-Yun Accord

Region X-12

Spoiler: Region

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Formerly located near the galactic rim, the area of the accord is sparsely dotted with stars. One large cluster does stand out, however, both for its profusion of red giants and for the scattered wreckage floating through space. One side of this coil holds the yellow-star solar system of Tel, home to the Telenite homeworld. A lush world of expansive jungles and flowing rivers, its proximity to the close edge of Tel’s habitable zone have locked it in what other species might consider perpetual summer. Though not bereft of seasonal shifts, the temperature rarely drops below 300 Kelvin, and can rise as high as 370 in the rainy season.

Across the coil of stars sits the second inhabited solar system in the region, a red giant known colloquially as the Maw. Barely skirting the edge of extinction around the burning star is a rocky world that most would consider uninhabitable. Scoured by searing winds and the relentless gaze of the Maw, Yundar gives life to ancient depictions of hell. Much of its surface is barren of life, the rocks twisting in the daylight only to harden in increasingly grotesque formations at night. It is this period of relative darkness that allows Yundar’s limited surviving flora to thrive, as luminous fungus springs up from deep crevasses to spread their spores and leech the tolerable heat before being blasted down to the roots by the dawn.

Spoiler: People

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The two species native to the accord share little aside from history and buried enmity. The Telenites are well adapted to their environment, protected from the blistering heat by thick scales and equally comfortable on land and in the water thanks to their amphibious heritage. Resembling bipal crocodilia, their thick torsos and long limbs are supported by a tripod of stout legs and heavily muscled tails, rendering them slow and somewhat clumsy unless they are swimming. Above the neck, the resemblance fades, their faces scaled but lacking in the pronounced snout of their alien relations. Their mouths remain disconcertingly large, fixed in a permanent smile that reveals rows of pointed teeth. Though they might appear monstrous, the Telenites are nearly indistinguishable from the Matured races in terms of development, capable of fielding primitive ftl craft and possessed of multiple small colonies in their home system. It is this very advancement that allowed for first contact with the Yundar, for good and for ill.

For their part, the Yundar might be mistaken for wild beasts on first glance. Forced to bury deep into the surface of their homeworld just as they awoke to civilization, the insectoid species developed frighteningly tough chitinous exoskeletons and formidable mandibles to better burrow to safety. Appearing as hunched, four foot tall beetles, their delicate forelimbs and bright eyes are often hidden beneath retractable plating, typically revealed only in the safety of home. With a culture developed over centuries of desperate survival, they are slow to trust strangers, and possess an off putting obsession with the fair distribution of anything that comes into their possession.

Spoiler: History

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While both the Yundar and the Telenites are possessed of a rich history stretching back generations, the single event that shaped their future was first contact. Ascending to space with mercury-cooled technology, the Telenites eventually developed a primitive Alcubierre drive, and began to chart their corner of the galaxy. Drawn inexorably towards the maw by the path of the stars, Telenite explorers eventually intercepted radio transmissions from Yundar’s surface. Making a harrowing night-time descent, the Telenites made contact with the local Yundar hive, shocking a people who had long ceased gazing at the stars.

Things began moving quickly then, as the Telenites moved to aid their newfound neighbors. Driven by altruism and greed in equal measure, they dreamed of a client state in the stars, so overcome by their ascension they’d acquiesce to a lesser station. And for a time it seemed the Telenites had judged the situation correctly. The underground cities of the Yundar began to hum with industries a century ahead of their time, as great bore holes were cut towards the surface to allow the escape of Yundar craft into the boundless void. However, for all their advancement the Telenites still possessed a limited population, well fed by generous mercury reserves. Two traits the Yundar lacked.

At first, aid shipments were enough to sustain the burgeoning partnership, but as more and more Yundar hives were added to their technological collective their demand grew to a ravenous hunger. They attempted rationing, dispatched a dozen expeditions to discover new mercury veins, even culled some lesser hives to maintain their new standard of living. But eventually, the Yundar’s hunger overcame them. Without warning, they struck against an outer colony of the Telenites, siphoning off all the mercury they could from the local infrastructure and leaving the colonists to suffer a slow death from exposure and starvation. The Telenites were quick to respond in kind, starting a war that would span more than thirty galactic years. A war eventually brought to an end by the intercession of the Vilari.

Spoiler: Government

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With both species forced to devote increasing resources to their apocalyptic war, the governments of the Telenites and the Yundar had become almost entirely centralized by the time of the accord. Now, under the guidance of the Vilari, military dictatorship has begun the slow transition back to representative government. In the interim, a council of representatives from the most influential Telenite and Yundar factions directs the rebuilding efforts, under the careful watch of Vilari observers.

Spoiler: Resources

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Mercury Sticks [Great]

Initially used as a coolant in Telenite power generators, the spun silver of their Mercury Sticks became a ubiquitous part of their technology. Appearing as double helixes of liquid mercury held in a clear compound, Mercury Sticks use electrical impulses to animate the semi-organic suspension liquid, animating the mercury with a motion similar to a heartbeat. This allows a flow of coolant across devices as small as a Telenite laser weapon and as large as a fusion reactor.

Xamok

Region W-19

Spoiler: Region

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Orbiting at the edge a blue giant’s habitable zone, the planet Xamok is a frigid wasteland riven by conflict. Incapable of surviving on the surface, the planet’s population survives beneath gleaming domes of diamond-steel, city-states paying tribute to technocratic warlords. Each is a kaleidoscopic spotlight, the buildings within bristling with neon signs flashing propagandized advertisements. Visible from high orbit, these points of light are a stark contrast to the icy badlands that divide them. Having exhausted Xamok’s natural resources long ago, these fortress-domes are supported by a vast array of automated mining outposts and agricultural stations spread across neighboring star systems, spiralling out from their ruined home like a plague of locusts.

Alongside these necessary outposts, the stars neighboring Xamok’s home system play home to ramshackle megastructures constructed over the centuries. These distant arenas host a dizzying array of blood sport, enabling Xamok’s technocrats to compete against and best one another even in times of relative peace. Among them, the greatest is the Circus Singularum, a deadly race course charted in the orbit of a local pulsar. Filled with deadly hazards, both natural and artificial, the Circus’ Grand Prix is one of the rare things that unites Xamok, the day-long race treated as a time of universal armistice by every warlord on pain of revolution.

Since the Vilari took control of Xamok, reforms have come at a slow but steady rate. Conflict between the great cities has ceased almost completely, the rare border skirmishes quickly dispersed by threat of orbital bombardment. A unified planetary government has begun to take shape, though little and less is actually agreed upon by the representatives of the cities. While the automated stations Xamok relies on continue to function, most of their arena structures have been repurposed for weapon’s development and mock engagements for the Star League military, to the dismay of those accustomed to the parade of lethal distractions. The one exception is the Circus Singularum. Having realized the importance of the great race in the first days of their occupation, the Vilari have not interfered with the ancient sport. Instead, they have leveraged the race as a pressure valve to redirect the lingering tensions that remain between the technocrats.

Spoiler: People

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Inhabited by a near-human race known as the Lev, Xamok’s hostility drove them into fortified arcologies long ago. That very hostility suggests the Lev are an alien transplant to the planet, but the truth of their origins was erased by strife long ago. Displaying purple-tinted skin and universally ink-black hair, they favor stark colors in their clothing and their art.

Thanks to many centuries of fundamentally tyrannical rule, two castes of Lev have developed. The first, and by far the largest, is the caste of workers and tradesmen that occupy the urban sprawl. Forced into lives of labor and struggle, they have only recently begun to experiment with the self-determination brought by Vilari oversight. For all that, however, the scars of indoctrination run deep, and few see themselves as members of a unified race. The second caste is made up of the privileged few to have entered the orbit of the technocrats, whether through family ties or particularly noteworthy service. Isolated in the glittering towers at the center of the dome cities, they once lived in opulent splendor at the expense of their fellows. Now, they find their fortunes much diminished, as the blood and treasure that once flowed into their coffers is redirected into much-needed public works projects. Which is not to say their influence has vanished - it will be many years yet before Xamok can support a true democracy.

Spoiler: History

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While their origins are lost to time, some of the Lev’s initial history endures in their shared legends. While the specifics shift from city to city, all agree that there was once a single cradle of civilization on Xamok. No fewer than twelve cities claim descent from that original homeland, but the sad truth is that it was likely destroyed. Most versions of the legend agree that an irreparable schism broke the First City down to its core, causing a diaspora across the planet. The death toll was unimaginable, perhaps into the millions, and by the start of recorded Lev history the first domed cities were already locked in bitter conflict. This would set the status quo for generations, the vendettas between cities on dying down in the face of joint disaster. The depletion of most of Xamok’s fuel reserves resulted in the longest of these lulls, a century of prosperity that took the Lev to the stars, but just as it seemed unity had finally come, prosperity and ignorance stoked the old blood feuds back to life. It might have remained that way indefinitely, were it not for the intervention of the Matured, whose galaxy-spanning exploits sapped the grandeur from the nobles’ dreams of conquest. After all, one dead world could hardly seem a prize worth dying over when garden worlds lurked on the horizon.

Spoiler: Government

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While the technocrats still enjoy considerable authority in their individual domains, the Vilari have taken the first steps towards establishing a planetary government. Once they secured orbital supremacy, the Star League Fleet constructed a small habitat in stable orbit above the planet. Home to a small contingent of Vilari observers and technical advisors, it also serves as neutral ground for representatives of the Lev cities to meet and discuss matters of mutual importance. This council, numbering nearly one hundred members, is as fractious and venomous a body to ever claim the title of government, but so far the disputes have been contained to battles of wits rather than soldiers. Whether forced proximity will eventually coalesce into cultural identity remains to be seen.

Spoiler: Resources

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Run Gunners [Great]

Forced to weather centuries of intercinite conflict, the technocrats of Xamok were quick to recognize the suicidal toll being exacted on their cities. Factories grew silent and still, and more than one dome collapsed due to insufficient maintenance. Too blinded by vendetta to simply cease their wars, the technocrats instead undertook development of a new breed of soldier. After decades of refinement and bloodshed, the end result was the Run Gunner, a vat-grown cybernetic weapons platform. Driven by a gene-tailored clone brain, Run Gunners are fearless, flawlessly obedient, and capable of enduring even the nightmare of Xamok’s surface (if only for limited periods of time).

Oku

Region W-17

Spoiler: Region

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The edges of the Oku sector were unremarkable when first surveyed by Raeth explorers. However, as they proceeded further they noted an unusual band of radiation above the cosmic microwave background. Pursuing the unique energy frequency, they found it grew stronger as they progressed towards the core of the sector, emanating from a red desert planet. While the solar systems surrounding the point of origin bore no signs of life, precision scans of the planet’s surface revealed the first of many ruins that suggested an advanced civilization had once made its home there. The preliminary expedition returned with an intact sublight tablet containing an incomplete history of that extinct people, from whom Oku gained its name.

Further study of the planet’s radioactive field suggested an anagogic source, a conclusion that was only supported by subsequent anthropological study of the sublight histories. Whatever great work of magic consumed the Oku left an echo in its wake, an arcane resonance that over time twisted the unprotected planet into a gleaming ossuary.

Spoiler: People

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No organized civilization survives on Oku, but that is not to say the planet is uninhabited. First Tree Xenobioligists were forced to retreat from their forward camps when they encountered enormous chimaeras of reptilian, avian, and insectoid biology. These twisted mutants ranged in size from roughly humanoid to larger than the expedition’s shuttle, and were utterly fearless save for an aversion to the Oku ruins. Further study by Vilari scientists suggests that prolonged exposure to Oku Radiation caused a commingling of what was once a normal biosphere, a sort of magically accelerated natural selection that bypassed genetic and biological barriers. Before its occupation by Vilari forces, it was thought these monsters represented the only indigenous life on Oku, but subsequent orbital observation revealed something new.

In addition to hostile mutants, a humanoid species appears to survive on the fringes of Oku’s sprawling desert. Vilari Science Protocols prohibited first contact in case of societal contamination, but continued observation suggests the blue-skinned, four-armed beings are the descendants of the mages that once ruled the planet. Curiously, they display no aptitude for any magic recognized by the Sodality, instead subsisting on primitive technology and an apparently innate ability to control some of the desert’s mutants. Chief among these is a species of enormous winged centipede that the desert dwellers use as mounts, allowing them to travel surprising distances on hunting expeditions or raids against neighboring enclaves. While more than three dozen distinct tribal groups have been identified, they display no further centralization of power. Though initially viewed as a potential obstacle to archaeological efforts in the Oku ruins, the desert dwellers appear to share the mutants’ aversion to their old civilization.

Spoiler: History

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The history of the calamity of Oku is as-yet incomplete, and it may be several lifetimes before xeno-archaeologists have established the full story. However, the first sublight tablets recovered planetside paint a grim picture. The planet was once a verdant cradle of life, where the Oku civilization reached maturity in relative safety. There were, of course, challenges, but by the time of their ascent to the stars the Oku were united under a group of philosopher-kings known alternately as the Sages, the Choir, and the Bright Ones. Naturally gifted in matters arcane, the Oku social structure appears to have revolved around a cycle of trial and renewal, which the Sages had all completed. The process was meant to foster both wisdom and power, but eventually a rot set in. The histories are unclear whether it was a single Sage or a faction among them that first experimented with a process known as “The Scouring,” but once it became public the Oku immediately fell into schism and civil war. A long period of conflict followed, those Sages that stood against The Scouring falling one by one to those who grew fat off the power it provided. The nature of The Scouring itself remains a mystery, but its use devastated large parts of the planet, sometimes reducing whole cities to hecatombs. The power also came at a price, as accounts of the Sages grow more erratic and violent with every passing cycle of the war. Even peace was not a reprieve, for in their victory the Oku wrapped themselves in paranoia and decadence. Scouring continued, as did its price, until a last terrible work of magic swept the planet clean. What that magic was, and what it was intended to achieve, remain unknown.

Spoiler: Government

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Lacking any centralized government or civilization advanced enough to be considered for uplift, Oku has been largely unaffected by integration into the Sodality. The Vilari maintain a presence in orbit, but the scientific expedition has no interest in legislative matters. The closest thing to an authority in-system is the Ship-Master charged with local Star League patrols, which maintain an exclusion zone around the Oku solar system requiring government clearance to enter.

Spoiler: Resources

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Sublight Tablets [Minor]

A wonder of arcane engineering from before the Oku civil war, Sublight Tablets represent a leap forward for data storage. Appearing as glossy black tablets of variable size, the enchanted material captures photons in its crystalline matrix, taking advantage of the particle’s waveform properties to inscribe data as atomic frequency. Though it requires specialized tools to interface with these storage devices, they are capable of theoretically infinite capacity, and display no lag time in data access once an interface has been established. Some scientists speculate the Tablets have a possible connection to the Beyond.

[TheDarkDM]

Space reserved for future Sodality worlds.

[zabbarot]

Region I7

Communicator Bulbous Jellydisc
Diplomacy 4
Military 3
Economy 5
Philosophy 2
Intrigue 5

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Communicator Bulbous Jellydisc (Rolls)
Home System: Cacola Void
Resource: Mushroom Tea [Great]
1. Scoby Field Supply Sector, Octant A1 [the Kombuch]
2. Shipping Sector, Octant B4 [vacant]
3. Shipping Sector, Octant B1 [vacant]
Learning Center: The Mother [native philosophy]

Spoiler: Region

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The Cacola Void

The Cacola Void appears to be a massive empty region of space at a cursory glance. More focus and better instruments reveal a single massive Dyson sphere blocking the vast majority of light from a single star. Sometime before the recorded history of the kombuch, any planets that may have been in the region were systematically dismantled to build the sphere.

The sphere, known as the Cacola Sphere, or home to the kombuch, has a radius of roughly 150 million kilometers. The surface area is vast, and less than half of it is actively used. At some point in the past the sphere suffered a catastrophic impact that all but removed octant A-2. Most of the octant has since crashed into the star, but surviving debris has formed sparse rings. The shattered edges are now sealed with dense walls of fungal matter, mostly dead, but some slowly growing in as part of a long term plan to seal the gap and restore functionality.

The parts of the interior that are inhabited are warm and humid. The fungal flora grows on every surface creating a dense carpet. Luckily the original inhabitants/creators of the sphere were either very tall or preferred tall spaces so even with a fungal carpet nearly two feet thick, most the inhabited sphere is traversable by beings under seven feet tall.

The remainder of the region is largely empty space.

Spoiler: People

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Spoiler: Various Kombuch

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Kombuch is a name applied to a wide host of fungal creatures that evolved on the Cacola Sphere. While the vast majority are barely sentient on an individual level, when groups grow together they form intelligent colonies. Kombuch colonies can range from roughly a meter in diameter to, in the case of the Mother, many kilometers.

The Cacola Sphere, where the kombuch evolved, was created by some ancient other to cater to the whims of it's inhabitants. Many functions were thought controlled and this likely directly guided their evolution. Intelligent colonies could direct the sphere to bring water and nutrients, and thus flourished, while less intelligent strains were eventually crowded out or subsumed into more competitive colonies.

Kombuch colonies largely communicate with each other through pheromones and bioluminescence. A conversation could take weeks or months of discourse. They only became faster as time moved on however. Modern colonies think at near human speeds, though some would still find them painfully slow. Eventually the need for communication between immobile colonies lead to the evolution of an entire subclass of mobile messenger kombuch. These small, independently intelligent fungi make their way back an forth across the sphere in a large number of ways. Some float along, filled with gasses, and directed by slow, oscillating fins. Others have managed to integrate with ancient robotic systems to race across the sphere. These robotically enhanced kombuch tend to deal with large distances, since they are far faster, but the drifting strains are common in small kombuch communities.

Spoiler: Messengers

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Spoiler: History

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The Kombuch have a largely uneventful history. Being fungal creatures most of them existed on a very long timescale. As they became more mentally agile ideas began traveling more quickly through the sphere, but being largely immobile beings living in a paradise that took care of all their needs left most of them without a desire to do anything. The Mother keeps them on task as a society, but only in directing expansion around the sphere to attempt to repair it bit by bit.

Spoiler: Government

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Type: Autocracy

The kombuch evolved in a space station designed to take care of every whim. Accordingly they have few wants or goals individually. Most are happy to just grow and associate with their neighbouring colonies. As a species they are directed by the Mother, the most ancient colony, who has grown across a massive portion of the sphere. Before the granting of FTL technology and a true understanding of intelligences outside their own bubble in space, this idealic existence was more than enough. This new information stirred a new drive, or perhaps and ancient one, within the Mother. A new calling. It created the first Communicator to be the face of their species on a galactic scale and gave it a goal.

Spread kombuch across the galaxy.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Kombuch colonies have little in the way of unifying philosophy or doctrine. In the end they generally follow whatever the Mother tells them, but the revelation of the wider galaxy has made many curious about what else is out there. They do believe strongly in unity and are susceptible to groupthink, perhaps do to their own existence as gestalt intelligences.

The Mother's only guiding philosophy is expansion. Not conquest, but literally planting the spore of new life where ever it may take hold.

Spoiler: Resources

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Resource: Mushroom Tea - A nutritious probiotic drink that predates the kombuch. Healthy for most species!

Requirement: Building Materials

[Moriko]

Mier Formica

Spoiler: Terrain

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The home system of the Mier Formica is a Quaternary system and features two Giant main-sequence stars which each are orbited by a red dwarf, this causes for a large amount of heat and light that the planets around use to sustain an abundance or Flora and Fauna. Planets that have settled in orbit of one of the two main-sequence stars have a regular day / night cycle however for planets that have settled around one of the red dwarfs the cycle is chaotic and night seldom falls.

Formica 1 (Blue Giant main-sequence star)
A spectral class O giant with a surface temperature of 45000 degrees Celsius and has the following celestial bodies in orbit:

Silva 1:
A planet mostly covered by green planes, currently not occupied by any intelligent species but houses a large variety of predator and prey animals. Its main bodies of water are located at the poles which connect through a multitude of rivers that meet at the equator where they are violently smashed together and produce rain across the planet.

Silva 2:
A planet devoid of life due to its proximity to Formica 1 temperatures that exceed 250 degrees Celsius make this place unsuitable for habitation by any known life form.

Mier 1: (Red Dwarf)
A small red dwarf with a surface temperature of 3500 degrees Celsius and is orbited by:

Bos 3:
A desert planet where the surface only sustains several cacti and supports no intelligent life, most of the Fauna live their lives several feet under ground. Below the surface large pools of water have gathered that serve as watering holes and hunting ground for these subterranean species.

Formica 2 (Yellow Giant main-sequence star)
A spectral class G giant with a surface temperature of 4500 degrees Celsius and has the following celestial bodies in orbit:

Silva 3:
Originally a barren planet it has since been Terraformed into a jungle planet by the Mier Formica, Flora and Fauna originating from Bos 1 have been transported to this planet and now make up most off the wildlife that sustain the Mier Formica colony established here.

Mier 2: (Red Dwarf)
A small red dwarf with a surface temperature of 3000 degrees Celsius and is orbited by:

Bos 2:
A jungle planet where many space elevators can be seen reaching into space. The first planet to be colonised by the Mier Formica was already a jungle world when they arrived requiring only the removal of a small population (4.5 million) of Pre-industrial locals. This planet has since been the main production site for new vessels that contribute to the expansion of the Mier Formica race.

Bos 1:
The home planet of the Mier Formica a Jungle planet with vibrant colours and a large variety of flora and fauna all carefully cultivated by the Mier Formica themselves, the whole planet has become one giant colony that sustains the constant expansion of the colony to other planets.

Spoiler: People

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The Mier Formica are a race of ants with most of the populace about the size of a ghost ant on earth (1.3 - 1.5 Millimetres) , they have become masters of adaptation and can quickly produce drones for a very specific purpose. Living in vast at colonies that start at roughly one square meter but can grow to extend to vast subterranean networks covering the entire planet. The ruling structure is a monarchy and the home planet Bos 1 is the seat to the current ruling Queen, each planet beyond having a planetary Queen that answers to the Prime Queen. These Queens control the vast variety of drones which Mier Formica consists off.

Each drone has a specific purpose and is bred to carry out its specific task to benefit the whole race without regards to its own life. Drones receive their commands through radio waves which are send out by the Queens and relayed though synapse creatures.


Queen:
Appearance:
The Queen is the largest of the ants with a size comparable to an house cat on earth (23 - 25 centimetres). Most of her body consists of brain tissue surrounded by exoskeleton, the rest of her body is there purely for consuming food and keeping the brain tissue alive.

Function:
The Queen is the prime monarch of the hive that relays high level orders to the entire race, her mental capacity equals that of several super computers but is unable to move from the heart of the colony she is in. Upon her death her collective knowledge is send to closest planetary queen who will then make its way to Bos 1 to rule in her stead.

Planetary Queen:

Appearance:
About half the size of the Queen, she shares many of the Queens features, however at this stage she still has six legs that allow her to move in the event that she is promoted to Queen and needs to relocate.

Function:
The Planetary Queen is the ruler of a planet beyond the home planet of Bos 1, these queens receive high level goals for a planet from the Queen and distribute orders down the chain so that these can be processed and executed.

Mother:

Appearance:
At the size of a earth parakeet (18 centimetres) the mother appears to consist solely of soft tissue that pulses, within the tissues thousands of eggs can be seen in several stages of development.

Function:
The mother produces new drones at an alarming rate, she is able to create a fully matured drone within three days and is capable of creating thousands of drones at a time. She can create any of the variations of the Mier Formica race and on average there is one mother per square kilometre of colony.

Relay

Appearance:
At the size of a goldfish on earth (10 centimetres) the relay looks like six legs that have sprouted antennae aimed at several directions.

Function:
The relay exists only to transmit message between the Queens and other workers. They can link up with other relay to boost the range and strength of their transmissions.

Note: The ants after this point are all earth ghost ant (1.3-1.5 millimetres) size, they might differ in a few millimetres .

Farmer

Appearance:
The farmer looks ... like a normal earth ghost ant.

Function:
The farmer looks after and collects the bounty provided by the jungle, collecting berries, fruit and vegetables from the gardens, which they plant and then transport to collection depots.

Trackers

Appearance:
Trackers have large heat sensitive whiskers that vibrate to sense prey.

Function:
Trackers follow wildlife in order to point other ants towards prey and sources of protein.

Energy Discharge ant

Appearance:
This ant has a bright yellow head that is constantly charged with particles. It's feet are designed to interlock with other Energy Discharge ants in order to form a barrel.

Function:
These ants can chain together to create a barrel that will discharge a focused energy pulse. A single ant could generate enough charge to pop a balloon however, this is amplified by each ant that links together. These links work by facing the charged heads of the ants towards each other and creating a circle that is closed off on one side, this causes only one way for the energy to go, creating an energy discharge that is capable to cross the vacuum of space.
Depending on the number of ants linked this can be used as a weapon for hunting and planetary or space warfare. If the barrel opening is wide the energy that is created can be used as thrust for ships.

Soldiers

Appearance:
Soldiers are slightly bigger than farmers but have the same appearance.

Function:
Soldiers are the leaders of a squad, be this in space or planet bound. They issues orders for example, when shots are taken and how to tactically move. They are told by the nearest queen what their target is, this can be as generic as acquire food or precise enough to target individual ships in a fleet.

Collectors
The Collector looks like a normal ant however, they have large baskets on their back and extra appendages they can use to fill the baskets.

Function:
The Collector collects the meat from the hunter squads and the grown produce from the farmers to transport them to the hive.

Digestor

Appearance:
The Digestor is a ant made of many mouths that lead into small tubes that loop to their right.

Function:
The Digestor takes the raw food sources of vegetable and meat and produces a pulp which contains only the nutritional value ready to be consumed by the other ants. A special tube is reserved for the queens that produces sweeter pulp.

Analyser

Appearance:
The Analyser has many antennae and feelers that protrude from its body and can be up to ten times its body length.

Function:
The Analyser can determine the function of foreign objects and determine traits a drone needs to acquire to replicate this. For example when a energy weapon was analysed the Energy Discharge ant was designed in order to replicate the use of this weapon.


Computer Ant

Appearance:
Almost translucent these ants have veins lined across their exo skeleton that sometimes light up when an electronic pulse is sent through them.

Function:
The computer ant can analyse the electronic currents within a network of computer ants and process calculations much like a quantum computer functions on earth, with the result unknown until measured. These calculations are then sent to the Queen so that they can be used to help in the planning of what action to take next.

Process Ant

Appearance:
The Process ant is similar in appearance to the Digestor however the jaws are constructed more sturdy and are clearly meant for non biological matter.

Function:
The Process ant consumes none edible material like metals and rocks and transforms them into genetic material that the Mother can use to construct specific drones, be they energy weapons or vacuum resistant.

Hardened Ant

Appearance:
The Hardened Ant has an exoskeleton that is created from metal and is outlined with a gooey sealant. Black in colour they can easily be distinguished from other ants.

Function:
The Hardened Ant serves as the outer shell for both planetary and space faring vehicles, they can use the sealant that covers their body to create a vacuum in which other ants can function.

Environment Ant

Appearance:
The Environment Ant has large leaf like structures protruding from its upper body which resembles a cluster of honey combs.

Function:
The Environment Ant is capable of producing clean air much like a tree they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

Speaker Drone

Appearance:
The speaker drone consist of several antennae covered by hairs that seems to move when coming into contact with aerial vibrations.

Function:
The speaker drone can translate aerial vibrations into messages that can be relayed to the queens and soldier ants. In turn several speaker drones can combine together to relay messages back to the creature that sent the aerial vibrations.

Groups

Below you can find ant clusters that fulfill a certain task:

Hunter Squad

A group of ants that consists of Trackers, Energy discharge ants, soldiers and collectors that track down a prey kill it and transport the usable materials to the hive.

Basic ship

A group of ants that usually consist of Hardened Ants, Environment ants, Energy Discharge ants, Relays, Computer ants,soldier ants and mother ants.

Combat ship

See Basic ship but with more hardened ants to increase armour, Energy Discharge Ants to increase fire power and more soldier ants to increase tactical decisions

Colony ship

A group of ants that usually consist of Hardened Ants, Environment ants, Energy Discharge ants, Relays, Computer ants, mother ants and a planetary queen

Spoiler: History

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The Mier Formica started out as a generic ant colony however, when several computers where dumped on top of it, the ants accidentally connected the right circuits and managed to formulate equations that lead to the birth of a new queen. This queen managed to guide a specific group of ants to connect the computers and expand her knowledge.

After several generations the colony was breeding ants that could replicate the computers functions and improve upon them. It was not long until the colony expanded outwards and conquered other ant colony's. This process was repeated until the Mier Formica were ready to overthrow the dominant species and claim Bos 1 for themselves.

The dominant species had not yet discovered space flight but had access to deadly energy weapons, the first strike managed to disable sixty percent of the population however the remaining forty percent managed to put up a decent fight. It was not until the analysis of the energy weapons they used was complete and drones capable of replicating its function were born that the remainder of the population was eradicated. The final war was when a energy weapon one mile long was created and evaporated the remaining bastion of resistance.

This lead to global domination for the Mier Formica and the planet recovered from the over use of natural resources the previous dominant species caused. The Mier Formica then proceeded to cover the entire planet in lush Jungle and reach a balance to sustain their race and keep the planet healthy, following this the queen then began looking toward the stars. Many generations of ants were sacrificed before ants capable of withstanding the harsh environment of space were bred.

With the creation of hardened ants, space elevators and space ships were constructed which lead to the colonisation of the nearest planet Bos 2. This planet was home to a pre-industrial civilisation of around 4.5 million bipedal lizards that were quickly exterminated when the Mier Formica started space bombardments. When the Analyser ants descended upon Bos 2 they found some survivors of the original inhabitants and by analysing these lizards managed to create speaker drones that could be used to communicate with other species if the need ever arrived.

From this the colony further enhanced their space faring capabilities and transported flora and fauna from Bos 1 to a rocky planet called Silva 3 and through careful calculations managed to terraform it into a jungle. They now seek to expand beyond their solar system to terraform many other planets in the same way and expand their colony.

Spoiler: Government

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The Mier Formica is lead by a Queen that is located on their home world, high level orders are relayed from the queen to Planetary queens, who in more detail relay these orders to soldier ants who micro manage the worker ants to make sure the overall race benefits of their actions. When the Queen dies the nearest planetary queen receives her collected knowledge and makes her way to Bos 1. The planet she came from is without a planetary queen for 3 days while a new one is bred.

Spoiler: Resources

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The colony produces large quantities of sap trees (Flora) which can be used for the generation of oxygen and harvesting sweet nectar.

The colony is unable to produce their own computers and machinery and requires a stream of electronics to sustain the computer ants that accommodate the Intel needed for expansion.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The colony believe in balance, that matter cannot be destroyed or created but can be maintained. Misuse of natural resources will lead to degradation of matter and ultimately to the destruction of the universe.

Learning Centre: Grove of recycle (The balance), the grove on Bos 1 is a perfect example of balance in action, all that is destroyed within is used to create and all that is created will eventually be destroyed to start the cycle anew.

Spoiler: First Leader

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Tapinoma Mier

Diplomacy: 4 (3+1)
Economy: 2
Intrigue: 2
Military: 4 (3+1)
Philosophy: 2

[Tychris1]

Spoiler: Banner

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The Wardens of World's End

Region N18

Voice of the Council Zel-Dera
Diplomacy 2
Military 7
Economy 1
Philosophy 4
Intrigue 3

Spoiler: Region

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The Watchers as they call themselves inhabit a large ring-shaped space station that orbits and observes a mini blackhole designated X-3754 or "The Source" by the shamans of Shadow and Flame, In Accord. This observational station was founded by some other space faring empire or nation long ago, with many installations planted throughout it to ensure a level of self sustainability, and with an express purpose now lost to time. What is known is that the station once dealt with a wide variety of scientific research and development, with a suite of observational tools, and a small menagerie of strange and mundane life forms in equal number. If it was given a name or designation by this founding culture almost all signs of it have been eliminated save for a single marking on the Great Hangar that read H-34R1H thus leading to The Watchers calling their home "Hearth". Various life sustaining growth chambers sprinkled throughout one side of the station act as the only source of vegetation with a smaller contingency of food producing habitats situated near what is now the Beast Master's domain. There is no planet owned by the Eye of the Horizon, their entire civilization is built upon this ring construct, and what few outside settlements have been made are minuscule in scope. Entirely situated on asteroids and ancient debris once thought to be part of the station as a whole. These small outposts are the source of all metals, fuels, and other essential components for the propagation of The Watchers as a whole.

The inner workings of the station are a labyrinthine series of massive hallways, tight corridors, dramatically large ventilation shafts, and huge rusting or crumbling docking stations. They are either entirely sealed up or otherwise devastated and uninhabitable stretches of void once used as the battlegrounds of turf wars and now for religious burial rites. The only working and fully operational hanger bay for the collection of venerated probes, personal shuttles, and maintenance carriers is also the seat of government for the Eye of the Horizon. It is the holy sacred ground where all weapons are forbidden, where each retrofitted and souped up personal sized space ship has a storied name with caretakers, and all the leaders of the tribes habitually pilgrimage to for discussion and spiritual enlightenment.

Spoiler: People

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The population of Hearth is predominately humans making up 90% of the population. Years of exposure to The Source and an unknown history of genetic experimentation have lead to a variety of strange mutations in the populace, however. Eyes like black voids or starry nights, hair of a variety of colors, and strange birthmarks are common throughout the human population. They are a hardy and resilient people, superstitious to a fault, and chiseled by an ancient bloody history lost to chaos.

Born from strange genetic modification experiments long ago the secondary population upon Hearth is a contingency of massive owl like creatures. Gifted with the size and countenance of a bear or other apex predator the Hearthlings are a powerful species of venerable denizens. The process necessary to make Hearthlings has been corrupted and otherwise rendered inaccessible by the years of conflict and struggle that have occupied Hearth but still, the population endures through traditional biological courting and mating. Besides the obvious physical advantages of their size (Which in an orbiting space station have severe disadvantages and access issues) the Hearthlings are also gifted with great intellects, vision, precision, hand-eye coordination, and motor skills. Their tale of gaining respect and equal footing with their distinctively different neighboring species and former masters (Though such stories are intensely debated even among the long lived Hearthlings who have fracturing tales of the Humans intentionally freeing them once learning of their sapience) is rife with tragedy and abuse but ultimately has lead to a solidly growing and important member of a now tightly knit diverse people.

Spoiler: History

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Little is known of Hearth in the Whole Times. The time where all of Hearth was in a single piece and functioning for its original purpose. Ancient tales and hushed prophecies speak of a space faring people building this artificial facility for some grand design. That its proximity to The Source and the diverse life present on it was some grand scheme on behalf of them to unearth cosmic secrets. What is known for certain is that these people stopped communicating with the station. Stopped sending ships or further resources. It was as if they had never existed to begin with. Hearth soon fell to infighting and faction making as resources grew low and the staff and crew upon it realized this was the only world that mattered now. Centuries of bloody conflict followed, a history of tribes laying claim to various facilities, hallways, dormitories, and nearby outposts. Each battered generation further removed from their glory days of scientific development, insight, and purpose. What little knowledge was preserved was jealously kept by tribal leaders and with it various tribes rose to greater stature. From an outsiders perspective it would seem as if Hearth was doomed to die from infighting and slowly losing all knowledge of how to keep it operational. That is until the leader of The Smokewalkers, Shawn Korhil, stepped beyond the bounds of Hearth and towards The Source. He returned seven days later, or so the stories go, and in a feverish delirious state of dehydration, suffocation, and madness spoke onto his people before collapsing. He said unto them that he had glimpsed the truth of The Source and wade deep in its primordial power. That it granted him strange visions, powers, and insight. He rallied his people that day onward and lead a campaign of peace, understanding, and spiritual enlightenment accompanied by an overpowering show of martial and seemingly supernatural prowess. Uniting the tribes of Hearth and establishing the cult of Shadow and Flame, In Accord Master Korhil set about the ascent of The Eye of the Horizon and all of the people on Hearth as a whole. Peace and unity ruled through the land, common ground once more established, and free trade and communication flowed from tribe to tribe. All the while Master Korhil trained and proselytized a multitude of people, preening them for disciples of Shadow and Flame, and ensuring there would always be a tribal council of Masters to decide on foreign affairs and internal policies.

Spoiler: Government

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All matters on Hearth past a certain scale of importance is decided by a council of all the tribal leaders and the masters of Shadow and Flame, In Accord. This collection of elders, merchants, warriors, and philosophers cast votes as would be expected of such a system on matters foreign and internal but also perform a variety of rituals for such matters. These vary from the pressing of sacred buttons, observing The Source for extended periods of time (Which Master's present endure), the drawing of cards, burning of holy oils, and rolling bones all dependent on which issue in specific is up for debate. A single member of the council is appointed Voice by majority vote and though they hold no inherent power over fellow council members they are the officiate who must perform all legal ceremonies and bears the burden of publicly representing the will of the Council.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Shadow and Flame, In Accord
Shadow and Flame, In Accord is a dualistic philosophy founded by the first Master and Voice of the Council Shawn Korhil. He preached that The Source is two ancient energies or entities in interlocked love and war. Kal the fiery blinding flame that churns and lashes the eye of those who stares upon his jealously kept love Mys the shadow of the great hole itself. They are life and death. War and peace. Each an opposite extreme who coexist and create through their union a terrifying yet beautiful act of divinity. They have chosen the people of Hearth to receive a great blessing for their hardship and through them strange unexplainable events occur. The religion of Shadow and Flame is a mystery cult, one dedicated to the observation and interpretation of The Source's strange nature, and applying it in personal and if need be military application. Masters take on Sparks to train in the mystical art of manipulating such an imbued force that permeates the people; Through such processes gaining enhanced reflexes, precision, physical feats, and ocular insights. The cult permeates throughout all the tribes of Hearth and even those not privy to its precise teachings follow in the example of the Master's serene, impartial, and balanced nature.

Philosophy Center: The Antimatter Chamber
The previous home of The Smokewalker's tribe The Antimatter Chambers dispenses great amounts of steam and other strange chemical products blanketing much of the facility in a mystical fog (and giving the tribe its original name). Within these shrouded halls and chutes are all the collection devices and studying tools necessary to collect samples of antimatter from The Source and as of such is one of the most sacred of sites for Shadow and Flame, In Accord. Masters and Sparks can always be found within its distinguished and carefully maintained walls.

Spoiler: Resources

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Antimatter [Arcana]
One purpose most often tossed around by the Masters of Shadow and Flame for Hearth is the collection of antimatter. So close to such a strange blackhole and with all the automated processes in place for collecting and storing such a substance, the denizens of Hearth have a potent supply of the destructive material.
Required Resource: Superalloys
Much information regarding the upkeep and daily proceedings of Hearth have preserved thanks to Council action however one of the most notable ones they could not save was the process and resources necessary to not only outfit further ships for their out of station exploration but also reinforcing, expanding, and repairing previously derelict sections of it. Huge swathes of Hearth remain only accessible by astro suit and this proves to become more and more of an issue as their population swells.

Region O21

Spoiler: Region: Dynastinarea O21

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Dynastinarea is a solitary world with an artificial moon and artificial sun one red and one blue. This planet is mostly covered in scorched barren deserts or harsh arid environs with a few secluded oasis that have been dominated by the ruling magocracy. Giant craters dot the small planets surface, glowing eerily with supernatural green and phosphorescent lights that are visible from orbit, and to many previous Dynast observers in the past have remarked that it looks like the planet itself is bleeding. Vegetation is sparse, mostly available underground where long ancient roots have soaked the nutrients of eons and converted them into small floral drones for protection and limited terraforming of underground tunnels. The Dynast laymen must instead rely predominately on the other insectoid cretins that crawl upon the surface of their homeworld, great lumbering ant like creatures, flying wasps, and moths the size of school buses that plague the Wound Craters of Dynastinarea. Great Ziggurats appear on the planets surface as frequently as the bleeding craters, many of them stationed nearby them in an effort to siphon the raw magical energies that gush forth from the planets primordial core, and some of the most powerful Wizzetrix Lords construct these arcologies in such a way that the pulsing life force of the planets magical leylines actually lift the structures dozens or hundreds of feet into the air in a bold and bombastic display of power (And a not subtle way of ensuring their peasant class is aware that they are literally above the problems of the ungifted). Great storms wrack the planet habitually, though after years of meddling through arcane means no one can be entirely sure how much of it is natural and how much of it stems from cabals of Sorcerer's convening together to vex their foes. Still, these great moving clouds of whipping sand or dark billowing fronts unleashing devastating lightning make certain parts of the planet utterly infeasible to live on to those uneducated in the mystic arts of artifice and protective enchantments. The moon lacks any magical leylines to speak of despite numerous attempts or rituals to uncover them and has mostly been relegated to an abandoned wasteland or a zone of exile for those too important to be killed but too disgraced to continue working within the great arcane workshops of Dynastinarea.

Spoiler: People

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The Dynast, as they call themselves, are a race of Rhinocerous Beetle looking creatures ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall and weighing hundreds of pounds. Their great horns are deadly weapons to be sure but far deadlier are the runes they paint (Or in some particularly fanatical or repentant examples carve) upon their bodies which grant them a host of magical tricks and defenses beyond the safety of their tank like shells. They possess muscles capable of moving small cars but lack any desire to do so for they are masters of magic and mystery all. Most of them bear dark colors on their shells but a contingent of their population have a variety of colored or even spotted/patterned shells that emulate many other Earthborne beetle species. They communicate predominately through the use of these paintings on their form, using them to indicate status, mood, clan, and even if one is looking for a mate during the Thundering Seasons. A majority of their population involve themselves in the art of studying the leylines of their home, feeling the ebb and flow of magic as it moves through the various creatures born on its surface, and soaking the strange yet empowering rays of their self claimed "Gift Sun". Those who reject the path of the mystic or are too dull witted are forced to live a harsh and simple life on the surface of the planet, protected by their magical rulers, and mostly ignorant of the intense sorcerous politicking that transpires within the vaunted arcologies of yore. Every Wizzetrix and Sorcerer worth their shell looks to one day create their own unique artifice that will spark further practicioners to create copies and indeed the highest honor one could consider in their culture is to have someone else attempt to steal or otherwise implant themselves into your identity for creating such a useful or powerful tool. No other Wizzetrix has matched the overall utility of the Lightning Wand, which has fascinated the Dynasts for generations, and manipulated in countless unseen ways both to better the population and create periods of intense internal strife.

Spoiler: History

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The Dynast people have an origin shrouded in allegory and spoken tale, a great Wizzetrix Prime who could move stars, and graced our world with a moon and sun before leaving us with knowledge of mystical art. Then a series of vying Dynast's manipulating these gifts into new and devastating techniques or creations. Finally, there came a Wizzetrix Lord grand enough and wise enough to otherwise gain fealty from all other Arcology owners through the creation of the Lightning Wand. A weapon of great power but also great potential. Manipulating the storms of their homeworld, creating moisture rich oasis for pleasure, and simply venting raw electrified power on the huddled masses laid bare to the many Wizzetrix's of the world. And that Lord who created the Wand was Lord Tybel. Or so he claimed and perpetuated as many good Dynast's are want to do when presented with a grand idea. That was until the day he died at the hands of the Speaker Zel-Dara.

Spoiler: Government

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Until recently when the Eye of the Horizon came upon this world and brought it unto the fold of their council the Dynast people operated under a loose feudal magocracy. Many Wizzetrix Lords or Supreme Sorcerer's would manipulate a series of lesser magus through the dispensation of magical tools of artifice and wonder with which to shepherd the rest of the populace. The Tempest was Lord Tybel's arcology ziggurat and forge for his many Lightning Wands with which he claimed fealty from a kingdom of sorcerers. This great pyramid was stationed directly over one of the brightest and most active wounds upon the surface of the world utilizing the flaring magic beneath to propel it towering with the clouds.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Knights in Service to the Source. Magical power is the only influencer in the minds of the Dynast. The Tempest (See Government) is the greatest concentration of well regarded minds on the world and manipulators of Magical Power and operates as a sort of hub of political identity.

Spoiler: Resource

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Lightning Wands (Arcana) are the most common magical tool used on the planet and for good reason. They are a great conduit of mystical energy and manipulating the forces that flow throughout the universe. The Tempest is the greatest producer of them but other arcologies previously under Wizzetrix Lord Tybel's control also produced them for dispensation to supplicants.

Cricalores
O19

Spoiler: System

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Six planets circle the sun of Elsolero, each of them a desert wasteland in their own right, and only one of them even close to sustaining anything close to a feasible population of sentient life. This planet is Cricalores. A harsh brutal world swept with pink, red, orange, and shimmering white sands all baked in the roaring red sun of their dying system. It is a life all things in the area have gotten used to. Two moons circle around this sole beacon of survival, the fewest number of moons of all the planets in the system, and just as uniquely glowing bright green and blue. An alignment of all 3 such heavenly bodies upon Cricalores happens only once in a thousand years but when it does occur tremendous powerful environmental hazards take hold and chaos is the rule of law. Asteroid belts of scavenged or destroyed metal float through the system, interweaving between plantery orbits like metallic threads of war, and serving as a grisly reminder of the monumentous battle that took place in the empty void of space as lifeless as the worlds they encompass. Huge graveyards of torn cruisers, frigates, luxury yachts turned to battle, and sleek laser centered Same drones detonated in fiery conquest and rebellion.

A few environmentally sealed outposts do exist on the various other planets circling Elsolero but they serve predominately as quick stop destinations for Flame Hunters to reload, restock, and lay low when things get hairy. None are fit for extended habitation and all of them are seamlessly carved and blended into the desolate hunks of rock that float through the void. Supposedly at the very least, since an incident of one being found without a Flame Hunter exposing it has yet to be heard.

Spoiler: People

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Cricalorians are the predominant species on Cricalore, massive six foot tall on average Hamster people usually weighing several hundred pounds. Their fur comes in many shades and hues but the most common combination is orange and white. Razor sharp teeth capable of cutting stone, eyes keen enough to see a shifting mirage in a desert, and a respiratory system capable of intense trauma endurance with redundancies to spare the Cricalorians are a resilient and tenacious people. They favor lifestyles that keep them vagrant, in close social circles, and normally stretching whatever intense interpersonal skill they relish. Sometimes it's telling a yarn over a mugging beer stein, a passionate night, a risky gamble, a bold faced con; Most of the time it's through the trigger of a gun. Cricalorians favor physical ammunition and slugthrowers in their dealings. The fewer mechanisms necessary for repair and the fewer pieces capable of malfunctioning the better. This isn't to say they are opposed to complication, in fact most of their schemes, plots, and business dealings involve manifold steps or bizarre colloquial ritual and even labyrinthian contingency. A Cricalorian hard at work chewing on something is a common sight for the fixated minds of these strange desert people (Normally a very shiny gem stone or a particularly interesting geode) brewing an idea. Simple in scope they are distrustful of outsiders though once any have pierced their ranks they are warmly embraced and heralded as an old friend (A vaunted title for one in trouble or a dire requirement for one about to be!).

Most space ships found on Cricalores are bargained for, stolen, and otherwise retrofitted craft taken from other civilizations. A particular favorite are the fast moving fighters of the Knights Vacio but Jackstar Free Union pleasure crafts have periodically stirred the hearts and stories of Cricalorians and wary visitors alike. This distrust of outsiders is absolute and overwhelming when it comes to artificial intelligence amongst the people. Since the Same attacked all intelligent robots have been regarded with abject fear and hatred. The war-scarred survivors and refugees of the endless struggle on the planet only band tighter together under such grim prospect. Gangs, raiders, and more civilized folk alike all set aside their differences in post traumatic societal relapse when confronted with the possibility of another Great Burning. What few bastions of civilization exist are sterling examples of adventure capitalism at its finest and most literal as coin and almighty material possession holds ultimate sway but at an exuberant and often confusing cost. This nature has only been exacerbated in the coming years since the Same have come and been defeated as looted parts (Or ostensibly looted) from the advanced and mysterious robot menace are an oftentimes courted amazement for the finer establishments, businesses, and arms dealer. Sometimes literally arms dealing in the case of cybernetics undergone by many inhabitants in an effort to make themselves tougher, stronger, and otherwise less debilitated by the destructive land.

Spoiler: History

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Cricalores was not always a horrible wasteland. At one point it was a verdant utopia where many other giant furry creatures lived like the Cricalorians. It was a noble and proud land where the warrior's ethos ran free and all was well. That is until Elsolero began to die and the stars themselves began to bleed. Or so the old wife's tales and myths go. In the end, it doesn't truly matter how Cricalores got to where it is today, for it is a dead shriveled thing and a cruel mother to a people who have long abandoned the need of having one. Their first contact with Maturated species was less than impressive, the most cunning and well connected Bounty Hunter easily repelling the Eye of the Horizon in a series of daring raiding maneuvers and timed collisions with unmanned vehicles. Goda Pett leveraged said victory and newfound communication with the outside world via looted Watcher tech that he became the richest Cricalorian in history. Or he would have had the Same not attacked. What is now known as the Great Burning began the day a swarm of vaguely connected floating metal pieces appeared in the hot arid sky overhead. Their lasers burned whole swathes of land to ash, deserts of blackened sand, and whipping winds of ashen remains. Those who joined the Goda in initial battle died. Brutally. The rest went into hiding for years, turning their saloons into bunkers, casinos into hospitals, and trader moe's into secret conclaves for a new breed of Cricalorian to emerge. Hardened veteran hunters of unmatched skill, guerilla warriors who had seen the rays of flame and death, and did not balk in fear but faced it persistently. Teeth gnashing and eyes raging they forced the Same to take every inch of Cricalores with great effort from that day forward, holding the Same menace in place long enough for CORE PATROL to arrive and liberate the people. Now officially a member of the Watcher society, the Cricalorians have easily meshed their loose societal structure with the free flowing agency of the tribal demarcation in Hearth and its surrounding protectorates. The current Goda acts as a representative to the Council, offering what wisdom they give for free to the Chief Deputy Warden, and constantly keeping their hand on their holster.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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The Mirajosa or Mirage City is not one fixed location but rather a pop up series of shanty towns, businesses, floating pleasure crafts, magnetic railway stops, and rotating fixed establishments that act as the cultural super highway of Cricalores. Gossips, rumormongers, and anyone who is anyone flit between these concentrated centers of pop culture and daily business. A damning risque endeavor exposed at any of these establishments will be known by anyone with a friend on Cricalores by the end of the day. Watering holes are a frequent spot for such congregation in the process of following after this cultural hubub but the life giving source is just as easily replaced with spirits and liquor of the strongest and most frequently used for impromptu surgery variety.

Knights In Service to the Source

Spoiler: Resource

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Bounty Hunters used to be the clsoest thing to law enforcement on Cricalores. Free independent spirited warriors who took it on themselves to help their fellow Hamster and fight the good fight. For a fee of course. Mercenary soldiers of the highest quality are born and raised on a world where your own brethren will eat you as children in the den. You're either quick, clever, or dead. The veracity of their claims and the honor of their agreements, especially amongst fellow Bounty Hunters in what could loosely be referred to as a league or affiliation, ensured the social order of Cricalores, and allowed for such a society to thrive in a world exposed to powers capable of faster than light travel.

Until the Same attacked.

Now almost all the old Bounty Hunters are gone. A new generation stands in their place. Forged in the fire of war, grizzled by the need for absolute survival in the face of apocalyptic odds, and assured with the experience and ransacked equipment of dozens of civilizations combined that they won. They lived. Such flame baptized warriors, skilled moxie fueled adventurers as they are, undergo far more ritual in their dealings (the anointing of ash during suicide missions for instance), and are no less intense in their preparations and prowess. The Flame Hunters are some of the greatest mercenary forces in the galaxy and guerilla warrior survivalists to the last.

(GOOD QUALITY)

[Tychris1]

Why would such honorable, enlightened, balance seeking, and just survivor mystics need another post? Clearly it is nothing of use and will never be occupied by further regions.

In short this not the post you are looking for, friend.

[QuintonBeck]

The Union

S7

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Chairman Vaou Ren
Home System: Teron (S7)
Resource Centers:
1. Union Production Facilities: Matter Rearrangers [SPR]
2. Solidarity Production Facilities: Matter Rearrangers [vacant]
3. Presidium Station Exchange: Matter Rearrangers [vacant]
Learning Center: Committee for Sublime Affairs [The One]

Spoiler: Region

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Home System: Teron

Teron is a star system comprised of eight planets of which two are considered "fully inhabitable" and a third hosts Presidium Station which serves as the formal capital to the SPR.

Inner planets
Two rocky worlds with toxic atmospheres sit closest to the Teron Star, a red dwarf, and are known by both their ancient names Reo and Fweg as well as their Revolutionary Names Stalwart and Loyal. The third and fourth inner planets make up the inhabitable lands in the sector and while still rarely referred to by their ancient names of Jurip and Kins have much more emphatically had their Revolutionary Names of Union and Solidarity enforced by government oversight. The SPR was founded on Union and colonized Solidarity approximately one hundred years ago after the Final War of Teron and subsequent Revolution of Ashes. The fifth planet is the last of the remaining planets within the asteroid belt that separates inner and outer rings, known simply as Belt, and is known as Vanguard. Vanguard is both its revolutionary name but also a more or less direct translation of its ancient name Gerd literally meaning "shield" given for its supposed role in protecting the other inner planets from rogue asteroid impacts.

Outer planets

Pre-Revolution interest in space beyond the Belt amounted to little more than scientific curiosity and the lack of an organized world government prior to the Revolution of Ashes meant a myriad of names for the outermost three planets. Since the centralization of authority into the SPR's Revolutionary names have been strictly adhered to regarding these gaseous rocks. Freedom, Peace, and Generosity are gas giants lacking life or the clear ability to support it but abundant in natural resources which has attracted SPR automated probes sent to collect the necessary matter to support continued existence on the inner planets.

Stations

It is above Vanguard, fifth planet form the Teron Star, that Presidium Station orbits. Presidium is a resplendent space station intended to represent all of the SPR's scientific accomplishments and is almost always under some form of expansion or construction. Permanent residency on the station is illegal by constitutional law but practically speaking members of the Central Committee including the Chairman themselves live most of their tenures on board only returning to Union and Solidarity for a few months of vacation each galactic year.

Spoiler

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An artist's rendition of Presidium Station

Spoiler: People

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The people of the Teron Star System are universally human with various phenotypes of skin, eye, and hair color. Despite having come into contact with other galactic inhabitants only once in the chaotic years of the Revolution there is an acceptance of humanoid aliens common among the people due in large part to science fiction literature built on tales of unusual signals detected from deep space depicting "space comrades" from other stars seeking to join the prosperous union of people represented by the SPR. Unlike other stellar powers the population of the SPR is somewhat low owing in large part to the widescale destruction of the so-called Final War of Teron and the subsequent "necessary violence" of the Revolution of Ashes. It has been SPR policy over the last century to encourage population growth and civic engagement seeking to stimulate their highly automated economy with military service, scientific research, and adequate resource distribution overseen by human hand in service to the "Historic Leap" of SPR expansion into the wider solar system and galaxy. Much of the regional history was lost in the chaos of the previous century though it is known that Teron Star's inhabitants are not native to this region of space and there is much to suggest they are in fact not at all native even to this galaxy. Spotty records exist of other human colonies having once accompanied the current inhabitants of Teron though these records were incomplete prior to the Revolution and since the SPR's ascendance and focus on the future and recent past over archaeological interests little is known except that other humans may yet exist among the stars.

Spoiler: History

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Historical records prior to the Revolution of Ashes and rise of the SPR are incomplete at best and false at worst. What is generally accepted is that millennia ago those who would become the inhabitants of the Teron Star System arrived and began to spread across the planet now known as Union. War, disease, and terror bred civilizations to protect "their people" and in time blocs of nation-states had formed as industry brought a people from an age of primitive warfare to an age of terrifying modern war built on weapons of mass destruction. A "peace" of stalemated gridlock kept the world from exploding but all knew that beneath the surface tensions were mounting to frightening levels. Starvation grew common as those at the top hoarded supplies in fear of a coming apocalypse either self inflicted or wrought by a vengeful god. When at last the center could no longer hold those who felt secure to survive the world's destruction but not its continued widening disparity and demands of the masses armed their weapons unleashing devastation they sought to weather in their bunkers and low orbit facilities. Billions died in a handful of hours as those with the means watched from their hidden bases the world that had afforded them so much burnt by greed and fear.

However, those who retreated did not do so alone taking with them great scientists and engineers to oversee their personal demesnes in the ashes of their own apocalypse. These minds were far from universal in their disgust at what their patrons had wrought but among them was one who was, Juan Porter. Juan was a physicist and engineer who had been tasked by his sponsor who had offered Porter and his family safety in exchange for his services to create a sustainable food source in a world coated in dangerous radiation. Porter had joined his benefactor in retreat from the surface to an orbiting station, the nucleus of what would become Presidium Station, high above Union's atmosphere. Unwilling to tolerate his benefactor's callous disregard for those who managed to make it to his gates Porter rigged the device he had invented to satiate the need for food and water in an irradiated hellscape, the first prototype Matter Rearranger, to replicate a poison into the food it created which he served to his callous lord. When his master died Porter had expected to face the wrath of his soldiers but to his surprise found their commander, a woman named Sera Brown, sympathetic to his cause. Together the two, Porter and Brown, proclaimed themselves masters of the space station sending shuttles to collect those survivors who still managed to live among the desolation in joining this new crusade. In time their community grew large and prosperous, the Matter Rearranger capable of providing for their basic needs and allowing survivors to be trained as soldiers and philosophers under a new ideology of collectivist principles. After approximately two decades the nucleus of what would become the SPR was thriving aboard Presidium Station while elsewhere other enclaves were struggling to hang on.

In his twilight years Porter ordered his followers to spread the knowledge of his Matter Rearranger to those willing to accept centralized rule under the communal principles established within their own compound. Not all accepted these terms but those that did did so eagerly, seeing this device which provided food, water, and simple medicine as an answer to their prayers. Those who resisted were fought and though many died it was accepted that these losses were but a final few drops of blood from the wound torn by the world's previous masters. In time the wound was closed as the colonies on Union were united under one ideology and a future vision was presented of a restored homeworld and more than that a home beyond the limited terrestrial existence long suffered under. Unification Day was first celebrated with the moving of Presidium Station from orbit around Union to geostationary orbit above Vanguard, a challenge to be risen to that demanded the SPR develop sublight ships to curry themselves between planetside and their oribital capital deeper within their solar system's space. It has been approximately seventy years since the Revolution of Ashes was declared at an end and thirty since the first colonies were established on Solidarity. Once more a prosperous people thanks to the advances made in science and protection offered by the deeply ideological Red Fleet SPR looks for the first time beyond their local solar system to the stars and mysteries beyond...

Spoiler: Government

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The Sublime People's Republic is an internally democratic one-party republic headed by the vanguardist "Common Life Common Property Party" or CLCPP which itself is organized upon revolutionary principles of democratic centralism. While the SPR prides itself on its universal enfranchisement and re-callable delegates within the elected power structures of its legislative body this legislative assembly is in turn responsible for electing/appointing Party Members to executive Committee positions which are neither recallable nor directly tied to democratic vote. Ostensibly this structure exists to preserve revolutionary ideals within the upper echelons of leadership lest revisionists seek to undo the universal programs of food, water, and healthcare provision for personal profit but practically this system encourages internal political struggles within the Party kept insulated from the populist whims of the average voters. Citizenship, and thus a vote on legislative delegates, is automatically conferred to any person born on an SPR controlled planet, station, or ship but Party Membership must be applied for and while often accepted may be rejected on ideological or economic grounds. Admission to the Party is aided by civil service including a tour of duty among the Red Fleet, administration within the Matter Allocation Committee's (MAC) ground level operations, and/or work in the Science & Engineering Committee's multitude of initiatives intended to promote deep a well educated and adaptable populace.

While not a strict military hierarchy some within the SPR have noted significant military influence among executive committees which while lessened in the decades post-revolution continues to play an outsized role in directing SPR efforts within the system. The primary military force within the region is the SPR's Stellar Armada known colloquially as the "Red Fleet" after the SPR's primary political color chosen to represent the common blood shared by the people of Union, Solidarity, and the Presidium. Indeed the latest Chairman of the CLCPP Central Committee, the SPR's most powerful individual chair, is a veteran of the Red Fleet known for his promotion of radical defensive preparedness in the light of stellar expansion and the possibility of encountering hostile alien cultures.

Executive committees form the real material basis for power within the SPR and are formed by legislative vote by the Presidium republican body. Committees must be composed of Party Members but membership within a Committee only requires a minimum 35% of Committee members to be representatives within the Presidium legislator meaning even a total recall of elected Committee members could leave majority control of Committees in unelected Party Member hands. While many have argued this encourages a Party plutocracy the major committees such as Matter Allocation, Sublime Affairs, and Science & Engineering boast a percentage of delegates responsible to the electorate in excess of 65%. Only the Central Committee has continued to be composed of non-legislative Party Members though its mix of militarists and hardline ideologues committed to improving the quality of life for SPR citizens writ large has insulated it from populist attacks outside certain intellectual circles advocating non-hierarchical direct democratic control of the government.

Focus on internal security and widescale access to basic necessities has led to a promotion of science and engineering alongside military preparedness as the primary concerns of internal governance. This focus on quantity over quality and clever solutions over grand innovation has led to widespread availability of basic services but has blunted adoption of newer technologies outside elite or specialized organizations. Conventional firearms outweigh newer energy weapons development indeployment, food replicated by Matter Rearrangers is a rather bland but nutritionally balanced slop or compressed ration bars, and the Red Fleet's sublight engines are widely from the last vehicular technology push from almost twenty years ago with many of the ships resembling each other only in coloration owing to the number of modifications and patches necessary to keep ships space-worthy absent a concerted effort to retrofit or replace existing craft.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Shortly after the coup on Presidium station as Juan Porter and Sera Brown began to consolidate their new revolutionary cadre along certain lines of thought intended to push back against the rampant greed and individualism that first plunged their homeworld into apocalyptic war they happened upon alien signals which when translated appeared to be religious texts broadcast by a coven of space nuns calling themselves the Sisterhood of Silence. Incorporation of ideals of collective responsibility and compassion alongside stalwart guardianship of these traits melded well with the new society envisioned by Porter and Brown. While neither were especially religious or deeply philosophical at the outset of their grand project as their power and influence grew it became necessary to codify their beliefs in digestible forms usable by the newly inducted masses. While some effort was made to conceal the total extraterrestrial nature of the One's philosophical origin there was open recognition of the policies backed by the One carrying the "universal" backing of galactic intelligence be it Caller or modern society. While the SPR has yet to discover the actual origin of these broadcasts their teachings continue to be enshrined and promoted by the Committee on Sublime Affairs which oversees proper thought among the SPR's populace within the Teron system.

The Committee on Sublime Affairs oversees fundamental educational institutions and matters of spiritual propaganda. Currently the CSA promotes The One philosophically throughout the system.

Spoiler: Resources

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Matter Rearrangers - Developed almost one hundred years ago by revolutionary founder and ideological figurehead Juan Porter SPR's Matter Rearrangers represent the pinnacle of modern Teron engineering. Large clunky cubes of electronics and manufacturing tooling MRs are capable of recycling waste to a near 100% recovery and transforming this material through atomic compound level separation and reformation into reusable food, water, medicine, and building materials. While production of MRs to provide for the population's needs has seen a massive number of these miracle boxes proliferate throughout the system it has been decades since the machines were significantly upgraded in the quality of material produced and as such food produced by an MR remains bland or outright bad and material more complex than simple polymers are prone to erroneous replication which can cause serious issues if not properly tested before wide scale deployment. Despite these drawbacks however the convenience and availability of MRs to any SPR citizen maintains their popularity and many aspiring scientists and engineers enter their careers off the material desire to improve the MR system. Some theorists believe a suitably refined MR, notably a network of interconnected MRs, could even operate to transfer matter including living organisms through disassembly and replication across vast distances. So far however limited testing of these theories have fared poorly and mainstream efforts continue to focus on merely improving the existing function of the Rearrangers.

While the Matter Rearrangers provide much in the way of material necessities they are known to be a drain on energy sources across the system. Current nuclear, fission, and solar facilities provide only enough energy to power the MR networks on Union and Solidarity during rationed hours. As standards of living improve and the populace grows it has become increasingly obvious new forms of energy will need to be imported to avoid widescale unrest relating to failure to provide the material benefits promised to all citizens of the SPR.

Spoiler: Images

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A Red Fleet officer in ship-side bridge service uniform


A Red Fleet officer and Red Fleet marine battalion in space-side/planet-side uniform


Service badge of a Red Fleet mariner (Pretend it says CLCPP)


Common single-person fighter craft design deployed by Red Fleet carriers. Incapable of near-FTL travel so-called Archangels are primarily support for larger carrier type ships equipped with the massive engines necessary to support speedier galactic travel.


Composed of a plethora of old and new ships kept in service long past their suggested expiration dates the Red Fleet appears to be a jumbled mess of ships unfit to carry the title of "fleet" but the SPR has continuously made these stretched-thin resources function in matters of protection and defense.

S9

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Chairman of the SPR
Home System: Borealis (S9)
Resource Centers:
1. Inner Rim Mines: Boreal Metal [vacant]
2. Mid Rim Mines: Boreal Metal [vacant]
3. Outer Rim Mines: Boreal Metal [ETH]
Learning Center: Committee for Sublime Affairs, Borealis [The One]

Spoiler: Region

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Borealis is a cold but habitable planet with significant arctic and antarctic poles capping a more temperate equatorial zone. The detonation of hundreds of nuclear warheads a decade prior to first contact has caused significant ecological damage to the planet's surface making much of its limited habitable zone inhospitable to human life and causing intense storms across the planet's surface. Radiation coats the planet's surface and has yet to truly begin to be absorbed and filtered by natural processes leaving the entire world toxic and dangerous though small pockets do exist of less highly irradiated land.

An asteroid belt of significant size and quantity fills the rest of the Borealis solar system rich in mineral and metallic components.

The other star systems in this sector appear to have gone nova some centuries ago and now only colorful blue-white gas nebulae exist in the rest of the galactic sector.

Spoiler: People

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Borealis is a lightly inhabited system composed of humans who lack a viable planet to lay claim to. A healthy world once existed where numerous human colonies had evolved into nations capable of limited stellar expansion but the nuclear holocaust ten years prior to first contact by the Rocthurhi wiped out over 90% of the human populace in the sector leaving survivors only on the small number of moon bases and asteroid mining rigs established by wealthy nations prior to the threat of nuclear armageddon and scattered remnant populations sheltered underground on Borealis. Due to the extraplanetary living conditions of many of the surviving Boreals certain Zero-G Low-G conditions have become a more pressing concern for the populace including muscular degeneration, loss of bone mass, and coronary conditions. The SPR has devoted significant efforts since reaching out to the sector to providing more advanced artificial gravity platforms for living as well as longer term projects of trying to reclaim the locals irradiated world for repopulation as well as encouraging cultural (and genetic) exchange between spacer survivors and those within vaults back planetside. While divisions have arisen between so called "spacers" and "vaulters" the SPR has worked hard to unite the two survivor factions through redirection of their frustrations towards their former world leaders who kept them divided along nationalist lines and fuel their recovery through hard work extracting and exporting the peculiar metallic compounds of this system.

Spoiler: History

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Rocthurhi ships sent to scout the sector between their own and the Sublime People’s Republic discovered a sector whose most habitable planet scanned as highly irradiated. More in depth scans revealed a world formerly prosperous with intelligent life to have only a decade prior destroyed itself through nuclear war. With little other options the survivors sought cooperation with these alien visitors hoping these space travelers could grant them permanent access to a nearby asteroid belt who’s occasional rogue asteroid had provided a uniquely valuable metal in ages past. While the Rocthurhi deferred direct involvement their government worked closely with SPR representatives who came to the region and did almost exactly as the survivors had hoped, helping to resettle the survivors as best they could and providing access to the means for their economic sufficiency. Provision of Matter Rearrangers and later Matter Manipulators has pushed progress on reclaiming the nuclear wasteland forward by decades while star bases and mining stations provide meaningful work to the local populace. With such a small remnant population the imposition of a One Party People's Republic in the region proved especially simple as there was little room for factionalism to mount into a significant wedge, especially in the face of the overwhelming edge brought by the SPR's arrival.

Prior to first contact the Boreals were a disparate people with two major nation-states dominating their planet; a liberal republic and a totalitarian empire each with dozens of more minor nations composing their sphere of influence and struggling for planetary hegemony. Political conditions on the surface had been stuck in essential cold war for over a century with varying levels of intensity having allowed competition through extra-planetary expansion, technological competition, and even simple sport to outweigh military buildup as the primary means of expressing superiority at varying times. Unfortunately for the people of Borealis the military tensions never fully went away and in the years prior to the bombs pressure had been ratcheting up to a fever pitch. When a radar operator, no one seems quite certain for which nation, detected an incoming nuclear missile their own arsenals were unleashed and in less than six hours the entire planet was bathed in radioactive fire.

Many of the survivors were privileged members of the former governments ferried to safety in the minutes afforded to them by early warning. A desire to restore one or both governments had indeed even been expressed when SPR had first arrived in the system but were quickly squashed. While executions were limited some were authorized for especially egregious exploitators and war mongers who had escaped their own consequences. Currently SPR has shown far greater support to the spacer populations, despite insistence both spacers and vaulters were equal in their eyes, owing to the greater proportion of spacers willing and even eager to abandon their old culture in favor of the Party Line.

Spoiler: Government

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Currently with a population numbering under one hundred thousand and almost completely subjugated by the SPR's significant technological advantage over the Boreals the People's Republic of Borealis is essentially a puppet government headed by a Central Committee of more or less SPR-appointed members who take directions from the SPR's Chairman. Promises have been made to widen democratic input and so far the desires of the populace appear to be taken into account regarding decision making for the region but factually this was more accurately pandering than it was the expression of a unified democratic popular will.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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When the One was brought to Borealis it came with explicit demonization of the disunity and fracturing of the nation-state model formerly hosted by Borealis. The great unifying purpose of the One was subtly and overtly propagandized to the population and continues to be sponsored by the SPR in their political messaging through the region.

Spoiler: Resources

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Boreal Metal - In fact a number of different strong metallic compounds rather than a singular metal Boreal Metal is unique from traditional steel or titanium alloys in its endothermic radiation which seemed to pull heat out of the air around it causing atmosphere exposed to Boreal Metal to chill significantly. It is currently unknown what factors cause Boreal Metal to absorb heat from the air and remain itself cool to the touch but many throughout SPR and elsewhere have begun to utilize the metal not only for the construction of frames and plating that requires hard metal but as a low cost refrigerant for server systems and perishables alike.

T6

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Chairman of the SPR
Home System: Crystal's Edge (T6)
Resource Centers:
1. Edel: Crystal Skulls [CmC]
2. Edel Lunas: Crystal Skulls [RTH]
Learning Center: Committee for Sublime Affairs, Crystal's Edge [The One]

Spoiler: Region

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Almost no intelligent life exists in the sector dubbed "Crystal's Edge" by SPR explorers and as such local names for adoption into the lexicon were archaic adoptions from survivors who had escaped their homeworld's destruction thanks to an ancient exodus from planetary to space habitation. The primary inhabitable system was a yellow giant star with six orbital planets each with a number of moons. One planet in particular, known as Edel among the spacers who lived in another regional star system, as well as the moon in orbit around it appears to have been inhabited by some form of humanoid intelligence but one that, like Borealis, had been subject to an extinction level event that had transformed the surface and people into crystalline replicas of their original form. From space the planet and moon both appear to glimmer with a reflective prismatic surface due to their transformation, an unusual sight unequaled in other discoveries by SPR explorers in Axiom.

Another less planetarily habitable star systems hosted a CmC Relay as well as a collective of ancient space stations which hosted a remnant population albeit ones long removed from their homeworld ancestors and disconnected from whatever political or military affair had led to the planet's crystallization.

Spoiler: People

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With a population of long ago spacers numbering only in the low tens of thousands it is difficult to ascertain an accurate handle on the culture of the inhabitants of Edel. The Edelian spacers are humanoid in shape having a bilateral symmetry with two arms, two legs, and a developed cranium but they were not a mammalian species. Fine scales coated their bodies, delicate but sharp claws rather than fingers stretched out from their palms, and compound eyes marked them as some reptilian or insectoid hybrid. The culture of the space dwelling survivors is one of relatively strict but efficient hierarchy with members of the society expected to fulfill progressively more meaningful roles as they age and test into more important societal roles.

Spoiler: History

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Expeditions by the Sublime People’s Republic found themselves in the ruins of a recently deceased civilization. While the causes of this civilization’s demise are unknown, all that remains of the currently crystallized remains of the inhabitants. Cities, people, pets, even trees have been converted into a strange crystalline substance. The skulls of the former inhabitants in particular have been shown to have...interesting, properties. In fact one of the explorers was nearly slain by a by an animated crystal skull after attempting to handle it without protection, nearly transforming into crystal themselves. The CmC has established a Relay in a nearby system to that of the crystalized world and currently possess several space stations in the vicinity that host a small remnant population albeit long socially removed from their homeworld bretheren.

Spoiler: Government

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More a research outpost than an official colony the current administration of Crystal's Edge is shared between a local congress composed of space station Edelian congresspeople, SPR research committees, and a Red Fleet detachment concerned with containing, and possibly unlocking, the secrets of the Crystallization process.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Relay Conglomerate Stations - With the majority of non-crystallized locals living on space stations outside the CmC Relay it is here where the majority of trade as well as philosophical discussion takes place and where the region was secured in the name of the One ahead of Union annexation.

Spoiler: Resources

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Crystal Skulls - While the entirety of Crystal's Edge major inhabitable planet was crystallized it appears the skulls of local creatures were the most severely effected. The brains of humanoids and animals alike appear to have become batteries of arcane energy capable of animating the skulls they reside in and emitting powerful energy beams from the eyes and mouth of the skull. In addition to these arcane properties the skulls were impeccable replicas of humanoid and animal visages making them valuable pieces of gemstone artwork on certain markets.

T8

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Chairman of the SPR
Home System: Huville & Truffoplis (T8)
Resource Centers:
1. Huville Productions: Thneedz [vacant]
2. Truffopolis Productions: Thneedz [vacant]
3. Sneetch & Giesel Productions: Thneedz [vacant]
Learning Center: Committee for Sublime Affairs, Huville & Truffopolis[The One]
Assembly: Unity Guard [The One]

Spoiler: Region

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Two star systems dominate this sector each a habitable Goldilocks temperate system hosting lush worlds as well as abundant gas giants and mineral rich rocky worlds. Both stars have similar temperatures and densities suggesting they formed near to the same time and indeed both star's planetary bodies had more similarities than they had differences. In all both systems were so shockingly similar it was perhaps no surprise that the inhabitants of each had latched vociferously onto their differences in the years preceding the arrival of Union.

One of the habitable worlds is Huville, a ecumenopolis with two moons and a robust artificial satellite network. The other habitable world is Truffopolis, a slightly less urbanized but no less technologically advanced post-industrial spacefaring world sporting a single moon.

Spoiler: People

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Whether due to ancient space farers from one world or the other, alien transplantation, or pure random chance coincidentally marching in the same direction both habitable planets are inhabited by a species of yellow flightless birdlike bipeds known as Hus on Huville and Lors on Truffopolis, though recent Union educational materials have attempted to bridge this cultural gap in the interest of Oneness and peace. The "two" species were remarkably similar except for the propensity for Lors to have stay symbology permanently colored onto their skin and dyed into their feathers, an aesthetic choice that appeared to have served at least in part as the impetus for the cold war which locked the two space capable powers in a cold war lasting decades before the arrival the teachers of the One and Union organizers.

Spoiler: History

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Rocthurhi probes sent into a neighboring system first observed the troubling state of the region; a sector of space at war with itself locked in a state of brutal conflict between two sentient space faring races whose hyperfocus on their internal conflict and distrust over the origin of Guardian’s message had prevented their construction of a Simulacrum Doorway stranding them on the edge of FTL. The two factions, one which associated strongly with the symbol of their home system’s star and the other who rejected such symbolism as backwards and primitive, had decimated each other’s colonies and driven one another back to their orbitally defended homeworlds with an uneasy cold war threatening every system in this sector.

Senior Tezh philosophers sponsored by the SPR entered this deeply divided sector seeking to end the Cold War through solidarity preaching that war offered no benefit to the industrious peoples. Progress in spreading this message was rapid as both planet's denizens were war weary and the Tezh arbiter selected by the Consensus proves especially compelling in their arguments to disarm the Sneetch & Geisel^TM defense systems at least temporarily to test the waters of peace for the first time in over a century.

Political annexation proved a simple matter with ideological unity between the two systems and while resentment still lingers especially among older members of the population and those with connections to the former regime the popular masses seem to approve of their new leaders, though that may change with the Draaxeri attacks...

Spoiler: Government

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While originally Huville and Truffopololis were each ruled by a unified planetary government run by weapons manufacturers, war fighters, and industrialists the revolution pushed by SPR political protestors has seen this old regime dismantled and new cross-regional government has been established on a space station intended to distance governors from reactionary inclinations of nationalism and planet-first visions of the future. While a great deal of autonomy is nominally granted to this local Huville-Truffopolis People's Republic in fact it was largely kept under close supervision by SPR central command fearful of a counterrevolution by the displaced members of the old order. Former planetary industries such as Sneetch & Giesel who produced everything from weapons platforms to the ever popular Tnheedz have been nationalized although many managerial members of this organization have been released from prison time and sought a voice in the political process leading some to fear revision from this region

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Introduction of the One played a major role in healing the schism between the two cold war worlds and its message was only enhanced by the relocation of the Sisterhood of Silence monastery Morning Bloom in response to Rothuun threats on the Core border.

Spoiler: Resources

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Thneedz - A wartime economy on both planets had warranted prioritization of utility above all else and both factions produced goods whose functions are multipurpose and diverse, chief among them Thneedz. Thneedz are stylish outfits, practical carrying bags, and nutritious if distasteful emergency ration all in one. Made of a mixture of natural and artificial fibers the Thneedz have proven quite popular in the Red Fleet for their versatility and manifold used both on and off the field.

[Corona]

Technocratic Meritocracy of Caruflaith Restored
Djinye National Front

Marshal Orrin
Marshal Galen Aoife
Legate Aoife Aoi
Queen Lin Sid of Plantera

Part 2 (Ryuvia, Elabana)
Part 3 (Selbe, Ifrinneamh, Xaldarian Expanse & Yeon, Ciretak)

Bespéartha (C11->W5)

Spoiler: Terrain:

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The Bespéartha solar system is, unusually, named not after a star, but after its only planet, for cultural reasons – the followers of the Church of the Twin Gods would not allow either of the stars to be more honored than the other by using its name for the whole system, for the two stars are palaces and representations of the Twin Gods, who must remain equal. The stars’ names are Gras and Sciatha, and they are both F-type main sequence stars.



Bespéartha is a planet with mass twice that of Earth and radius 1.25x bigger than Earth, with a surface gravity of 12.55 m/s^2. The oddly-shaped orbit is easily one of the most interesting things in the Bespéartha system - Bespéartha orbits its two suns in a figure eight shape path. Even the planet’s own inhabitants have soon, after observing other solar systems, realized that, while the orbit technically does not violate any laws of physics, it is a rarity even in the colossal Axiom galaxy. Naturally, this has led many to assume that this system must have been constructed by an intelligent and unimaginably powerful entity. Followers of the Church of the Twin Gods often speak of this as good proof that gods do exist. Bespéartha has no natural satellites, so tides are relatively low. There are artificial space stations in Bespéartha's orbit.
Approximately 75% of its surface is covered by oceans, which are, on average, 4.5 kilometers deep, the rest is dry land, most of which is accounted for by the four great continents: Ríall, Coghmhu, Án Tybaltic and Anteguo. The climate is fairly hot and wet in most places, sustaining large tropical forests. However, if one is not accustomed to the unusual seasons and day cycles that are a consequence of the planet’s unusual orbit, one can be caught unaware by a sudden spell of cold, as one of the stars eclipses the other, or by a polar day, occurring even on the equator, when the planet is directly between its suns.

Flora:
Of special socioeconomic interest are several species of marine plants called "Floaters". They form dense nets of branches and foliage that, well, float on the surface of water bodies, including the ocean. There are two distinct groups: the Great Floaters grow in shallow waters only, and have their roots in the seabed, flexibly connected to the surface part of the plant. Their branches are sturdier, and with some clever engineering, wooden houses may be built on top of them. Lesser Floaters are more algae-like, and can float freely on the surface of the water body, subsisting on dissolved minerals and microorganisms. The first Djinye to cross the ocean used large amounts of Lesser Floaters as flotation devices, eating parts of them for sustenance on their journey.

Fauna: Many land animals, especially large animals, have been made extinct by the Djinye. Only those that have adapted to the constant spread of the urban environment have flourished. The most prominent of these species is the pigeon Columba urbana, which has large colonies in the core cities of the Meritocracy that are scarcely populated by humans.

There is a large asteroid belt on the periphery of the Bespéartha system, where several mining and factory ships and are usually present, though there is no permanent human population.
Near to Bespéartha are several other solar systems. Most of them have already been explored thoroughly, but none are nearly as life-friendly as Bespéartha is.

Hyperíon is red giant, the most luminous star in the area. A gas giant (Hyperíon a) and a cold dwarf planet orbit it. The dwarf planet is barren, but three icy moons of the gas giant have subsurface oceans containing vitally important elements and minerals that made it possible to construct and man small, but permanent stations on these moons. These are mostly used for scientific and military purposes, though around ten thousand brave/crazy civilians also live in this solar system.

Ikla is a red dwarf. Four planets are in its solar systems, three terrestrial and one ice giant. All of the terrestrials orbit too close to Ikla to allow for life to develop, however. On Bespéartha, the Ikla system is best known for stunning photos of its many planets and moons, and for being often used to gravitationally slingshot probes and spaceships, as it lies in the orbital plane of Bespéartha.

Spoiler: History:

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Years on Bespéartha are counted from the year of the Great War that nearly wiped out humanity. The years before are suffixed with AE (Ancient Era), and the years after with PW (Post-war) or FR (Final Revolution), depending on your stance on the revolution that took place during the war. The current year is

Ancient World
There were countless ancient nations, but history is written by victors, so it is sufficient to introduce two: The Kingdom of Fultain and the Sacred Groves of Airia, both located in the western parts of the largest continent, Ríall. Fultain and Airia were each fighting the so-called "Seven Evil Kingdoms" for many years, but they could not prevail, until their respective leaders realized that only by a combined strike would victory be achieved. Now, Fultain and Airia regarded each other as more righteous than the Seven Evil Kingdoms, but there was a problem: each of them worshipped and derived its mandate to rule from a different god, and these gods seemed to be the opposites of each other in just every aspect.

In 7 000 AE, overcoming their distrust of each other, the King of Fuil Táin (as Fultain was called back then) and the High Priestess of Airia arranged to meet in person and get married, to unite their realms. But the gods did not take kindly to the decision. The sky was permanently overcast, though no rain came, as in a calm before a storm. For seven weeks neither sun could be seen, until the rulers consummated their marriage. At that point the gods... accepted the mortals' decision and made peace with each other. The countries of Fultain and Airia united and survived for thousands of years to be the most important founding members of the Caruflaith Empire. Their religions merged into one, with the priests revising their interpretations of their gods to allow for a common story.

The Caruflaith empire (2537-73 AE) was a union of over a hundred countries, ruling over most of the world. It started as a monarchy, but as modern ideas developed, the rulers preserved it by adding more democratic elements as time passed. One of the reasons that historians give for its success was that it was able to create a common national and religious identity accepted by the billions of its citizens, yet remain flexible enough to allow for local traditions. The Caruflaith empire saw the human race through one of its greatest crises. Around the year 900 AE, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has risen sharply due to excessive burning of carbohydrate fuels. The Emperor conspired with Realtaist priests to create a falsified ancient scroll that would introduce a new principle for Realtaists to follow: "Nature is cyclical. One's waste it makes into another's sustenance. Thou shalt not impede this cycle; thou shalt return thy waste whence it came. But not all mixed up. As thou givest to the Goddess what is her due, and to the God what is his due; so give to the plastic, paper, glass, [...] vessels what is their due." Combined with a transition to solar power, the natural course of action for someone worshipping the stars, this ploy was successful in averting an increase in global temperature.

The Empire prospered, and humanity grew faster every year. With much pomp and splendor, the first space elevator was revealed in the capital city, Mar, in the year 400 AR. Several fleets of spaceships were designed and built, but, it turned out, there was nothing to be found in space. No life, no water, no gods, nothing that wasn't on Bespéartha. The project was a huge disappointment. Some probes were released, and manned space stations put in orbit, but the public had already moved on. Nevertheless, humanity used the plentiful resources on Bespéartha and continued to grow in power and understanding of the universe, without any obstacles in sight.

There was a problem, however. While humanity flourished, the humans that comprised it stagnated. The Djinye numbered one trillion. Metropolitan culture being increasingly influential, people largely stopped interacting with anyone outside their workplace or home. As human understanding of all possible aspects of the universe grew, more specialization occurred, to the point where, for example, a string theory quantum physics seismologist and a spectral image exoplanet painter could not talk to each other, not even about the weather, without resorting to jargon and advanced terminology that were incomprehensible to the other party. The ruling political parties stopped catering to the masses, who didn't understand politics anyways, and who often voted against the best course of action, even if it was recommended by all relevant experts. Instead, they started following the strategy of making politics boring and even more incomprehensible, leading to low voter turnout among the uneducated. In the case that some anti-system representatives got elected, the ruling parties used the ministers' ability to appoint unelected officials, who were given more power, leading to an opaque bureaucracy. Due to wealth naturally attracting more wealth, class divides grew insurmountable. Now, these developments were driven by societal trends and the invisible hand of market, not by the actions of individual humans. If history were different, this might have continued until people were to humankind as cells are to a human - unaware of the group's structure or goals, yet working day and night for its sake. But one day, an inexperienced journalist made a fatal mistake in 73 AE. A new law was being drafted that would allow androids to replace humans in all jobs involving physical activity, which would, according to economists, eventually lead to the displacement of the human workforce toward creative professions, and increase the nation's GDP twofold. There was a legal requirement for important laws to be advertised in all state-run media. Since it was predicted that citizens would disagree with this law (for inadmissible, selfish reasons, of course), the report would usually be extremely obfuscated. Our aforementioned journalist, however, did not yet understand the realities of the profession, and wrote a very simple article, understandable by people of all professions and social circles.

The Final Revolution
The government did not stand a chance. Outraged citizens, who finally had a target for venting their frustration with life, stormed the offices and found out about more and more of the government's questionable decisions. The military distanced itself from the government and, ultimately, joined the uprising. Nothing was sacred, even the Imperial family was dragged out of the palace and shot. Eventually, some semblance of order was restored. The territories of the former empire passed into the control of multiple generals. The one who controlled the island of Caba, southwest of Ríall, wished to carry on with the deployment of intelligent machines, as he was sure it could only benefit humanity. However, most of the other warlords were opposed, so he built up a large army of androids in secret underground facilities, and attacked. As he could replace his soldiers fairly easily, and they were actually better than human soldiers, he conquered half of the continent. However, his opponents successfully labeled his android army as a threat to humanity, and tens of millions of volunteers joined their coalition to fight for humanity's future. They took back large swathes land, though not without heavy losses, and soon they were threatening to surround and capture the large amounts artillery and supplies that the Caban warlord had stationed in the city Mar. The Cabans called a strategy meeting. Despite the urgency, the meeting was going nowhere.

The following events are not recorded history, but a fairly likely narrative, pieced together from leftover evidence and memories: A young military officer was frustrated with the indecisiveness of those present, and eventually drew their weapon and slaughtered all those present, seized power, and launched Caba's thousands of nuclear rockets at its opponents. When they learned of the attack, they were shocked that their foe would escalate the conflict so - but they had no other choice but to retaliate in kind. Most other nations, also shocked that someone would resort to using such horrifying weapons, joined the war to punish either or both of the combatants, launching their own missiles. The sky was filled with death, and the first missiles were about to hit the ground, spelling the end of the Djinye.

But something else happened. In a flash of lightning, the missiles disappeared. It is not at all clear what happened, and some think it was a conspiracy orchestrated by those who would rule after these events, but most agree that, after arguing with her Brother who did not wish to intervene, the Goddess flew down and swept the weapons from the sky, saving the Djinye from self-extinction. As she stood near Mar, pondering her next course of action, a group of soldier spotted her. Not only did they not recognize their own goddess (though, to be fair, the rate of divine appearances has been steadily declining over the last millennia), but they also failed to make sure that she was not a civilian, and shot at her without warning. That was the last straw. Furious with the ignorance and ingratitude of humanity, the Goddess struck the ground, creating a chasm hundred kilometers deep and twenty kilometers wide, and disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. Perhaps she died from exhaustion or from the impact of her own blow, or perhaps she is simply done with humanity, not even her Legate* knows.

*A Legate is the highest religious rank in the hierarchy of the Realtaist Church

It seems that the Goddess also meted out the ultimate punishment to the one that started it all: the young officer was almost removed from reality and forgotten. They disappeared along with all photos of them and all documents that mentioned them. Even more unsettling is that people who are presumed to have met the young officer cannot remember anything about them. Their name, their appearance, their character, their motives for what they did... all lost. In the Meritocracy, they are greatly revered nonetheless, and called "the Hero" for starting the Final Revolution and making a stand against the anti-progressive, contra-revolutionary forces (i.e. those who were against the use of androids).

As the dust settled and everyone came to understand what had transpired, a group of twenty-five friends calling themselves the Hero's Disciples rallied what remained of the Caban army and, with some luck, managed to quickly drive out the anti-android coalition from the continent. The most zealous of their enemies's troops, however, did not surrender and made a fighting retreat into the recently-formed crater, where they set up an impenetrable defense. They continue to fight the Meritocracy to this day, and they support rebels from within Meritocracy.

In the year 0 FR, the Hero's Disciples divided the land they conquered into several countries, all considerably different but sharing the spirit of the revolution. However, by corruption, incompetence, rebels or pressure from the countries outside the former Caruflaith empire, which had stayed mostly anti-revolutionary, they failed, one by one. To ensure that righteous revolutionary land would not fall into the hands of dirty imperialists, the Meritocracy, initially constrained to Caba, took control of it. Eventually, this led to the Meritocracy expanding to the borders of the Caruflaith empire. It is currently the most powerful country of the world, and can intimidate the other nations into following some of its policies. However, the Meritocracy is weak against foreign cultural influences, and some Realtaist priests regularly slip counter-revolutionary ideas into their preachings. Citizens are losing faith in the merits of the Meritocracy as rumors spread that the Marshal is merely a figurehead secretly controlled by the Imperial family/Realtaist priests/aliens.

Recently, the Meritocracy and other countries have created a space agency that will launch missions on behalf of the whole world. The spaceship will take off using a new space elevator. The elevator and all facilities are in the Meritocracy, but other countries have the right to send priests to spread Realtaism, if there should be other intelligent beings in space.

Spoiler: People and Society

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Djinye means „thinker“ in one of the Djinye’s languages, and indeed, they generally think of themselves as the only intelligent beings on Bespéartha or the surrounding solar systems.
The Djinye are humanoids, on average 1.60 meters tall. Their skin is gray with a tint of pink or brown. They (and other terrestrial animals on the planet) need to drink significantly more water than other similar species, as the hot, humid weather would otherwise take its toll on them. On the other hand, their higher body temperature is associated with a faster metabolism, making them faster and more nimble than species living in colder environments.

The Djinye's maximum "natural" lifespan is about 80 years. However, in the later Caruflaith empire, scientists have developed medicines that cure most causes of aging. They chemically replenish the telomeres of one's cells, increasing tissue regeneration capabilities. These medicines are usually mixed in standardized ratios and administered in the form of a drink called the Elixir. In most countries, one needs to purchase the Elixir; only the Meritocracy supplies it to every citizen for free. There is an associated tax, true, but most citizens are happy to pay it. Djinye who drink the elixir typically live for 200 years, absent fatal accidents. Death is either caused by the fact that the Elixir is standardized and does not meet the needs of a person's biology exactly (causing localized aging or cancer), or by loss of brain function - to the Meritocracy, few things are as sacred as the wonderful human brain. Therefore, performing or condoning any acts that could unnaturally alter the brain is usually judged as high treason against the human race, punishable by death. It follows that the Elixir is carefully crafted to ensure it does not affect the brain, at least not directly.

There are two main types of cultures visitors from the other worlds should know about:

The cultures influenced by the ancient Church of the Twin Gods, popular in Anteguo, northern Án Tybaltic, and the underground tend to view the world as a theater play in which each person is an actor with a predetermined part, great or small. Those actors need to be in harmony with each other, otherwise the play is spoilt. One should obey and respect one's superiors. One should fulfill one's obligations and try to fulfill others' expectations, especially the expectations of one's family and friends. One should not do disharmonious acts, such as arguing about who will get to sit in the front seat of a car. The outcome hardly matters in the grand scheme of things, but all of those involved suffer from feelings of bitterness. Honor and industriousness are valued highly.

As a reaction to the revolution, a counter-revolutionary movement has developed. The counter-revolutionaries fight a constant guerrilla war against the Meritocracy, mostly from the vast underground tunnels below the ruined city of Mar, trying to retake land on the surface. They refuse to use robotic devices with any kind of AI, but they are the only country-like entity to openly embrace genetic engineering of humans, undeterred by the Meritocracy's threats. They often have green hair that is capable of photosynthesis, meaning they need less food in sunlight. Although the Meritocracy tries hard to arrest those responsible, the counter-revolutionaries make great profits from smuggling precious minerals and genetically modified organisms to Meritocracy citizens. They are mockingly nicknamed Goblins.

There is also the relatively recently invented culture of the Meritocracy, although true fanatics would tell you that it is not a culture, but merely a set of conclusions that necessarily follow when one considers utilitarianism and other self-evident principles. First and foremost, the Meritocracy forbids discrimination full stop. Racism, sexism, nationalism, cults, unwarranted familial ties, simply all kinds of tribalism are seen as highly undesirable. The government of the Caruflaith Empire that preceded the Meritocracy had benign goals, but it failed to reach them, resulting in its decline. The main cause for the failure of the Empire is asserted to be the wildly differing conditions one is born into. The lower socioeconomic classes suffered through their entire lives through no fault of their own, while those born into wealth struggled to make people judge them on their own merits. Physical appearance also played a large part in arbitrary, yet common, prejudice. More attractive people had an easier time getting through life, only because they randomly developed features that evoked emotions in others. It should be noted at this point that while the human mind is regarded as sacred, emotions are not. They are merely the ball and chain that weigh down the immaculate, rational intellect of human beings. Some emotions are regarded as more noble, and excepted from condemnation: loyalty - considered necessary for a functional society, platonic love/respect - ditto, and greed/desire for power - fulfilling one's dreams is what one should strive for in life, after all!

All of this was clearly wrong. Hence, all of these evils and more were eliminated in the Meritocracy, one way or another. Laws became more and more extreme perfect as time passed. At first, inheritances were abolished, and the money of dead taken by the state and redistributed equally to newborn children's families. Then, a course in raising children that was obligatory for parents was introduced, to minimize the percentage of lives affected by bad parenting. Finally, families have been abolished altogether. Why have random, unqualified people handle the most critical of a young Djinye's development stages? The new system for child-rearing works like so: Mentors are experienced Djinye, usually at least 30 years old. Communities of Mentors and children are established, each consisting of 7 children (any more, and the children would start to form cliques, according to sociologists) and about 4 mentors. The children usually change communities every 8 years, or on request. Adults can ask someone to become their Mentor, if they wish to learn something. Mentors usually only have one adult Disciple. As an aside, the Meritocracy has outlawed surnames along with families, so the name of one's mentor can be used in the place of a surname. (e.g. Galen, a Disciple of Aoife, can be referred to as Galen Aoife)

Also, citizens are pressured to wear masks concealing their faces in the company of others to fix the judgement-based-on-appearance issue. As for the problem of emotions, marriages have been abolished and forming romantic relationships is discouraged from, as it is believed that people spending too much time with their partners and families, not making new connections, is one of the leading causes of the Empire's social collapse.

Even though the Meritocracy was initially becoming more extremist by the day, with those who led the country a month earlier getting accused and killed in duels by greater zealots or opportunists, the government eventually stabilized, as the revolution ground to Some Djinye have also picked the parts from both cultures that they agree with, frustrating extremists from either side.

The "Final Revolution" is a concept supposedly invented by the Hero. It may be a little difficult to translate, but put simply, it is the belief that everything is solvable by science, and will eventually be solved by science. It is the belief that there are no limits to your possibilities, you reap exactly what you sow. It is the belief that you are beholden to yourself only. Most importantly, though more recent, less revolutionary Meritocracy governments have tried to downplay this aspect, the Final Revolution means that one can challenge one's superiors without punishment. Including challenging them to a duel, if they are a soldier. Particularly fashionable are jet fighter dogfights. Inflicting permanent damage on someone is illegal even in a duel, but accidents do happen.

To sum up, the Meritocracy attempts to reject and/or eliminate any kind of difference between humans at birth, so that they can compete on equal footing, resulting in the strongest possible leadership and maximum utility. One may think that this is contradictory; if you reject all differences, how do you differentiate people that are better or worse at something? The key idea here is that the Meritocracy defines an individual by his or her mind only. While bodily differences randomly handicap or benefit an individual, mental differences effectively are the individual, and thus should be used as a metric for determining which individuals are better at what. This logic is not perfect; gender differences are also partially mental, and duels, which are one of the most prominent ways of getting promoted, can be greatly impacted by physical characteristics of the duelists, even with modern weapons. The Meritocracy has only been around for a short time, and it has cycled through leaders fairly quickly, with each leader introducing new policies. Only time will tell if this system is sustainable or not.

With regards to fashion, the Meritocracy favors simple, dark blue military uniforms. It might be regarded as peculiar that the uniform's lower part consists of what looks like a short skirt worn over slim-fit trousers. This is a political statement: it combines aspects of the customary pre-revolutionary attire of women and men, illustrating the idea that gender does not matter.

One undeniable benefit to the Revolution is the standardization of measurement and abolition of negative cultural baggage. No longer is Bespéartha's radius 2341 Fultese leagues (which are a multiple of the stride length of an ancient king), it is 838 picolightyears. Unfortunately, the revolutionary time units mostly did not catch on except as jokes, probably because a day, inconveniently, does not divide into a whole amount of teracesiumcycles.

The androids invented by the Djinye are generally fairly intelligent, and can compete with humans in many mental tasks. However, most do not regard them as humanity’s equals, as the androids do not seem to have any agendas or desires other than those that they had been programmed for.

In the Meritocracy, the androids perform jobs that are beneath the Djinye, such as managing the agricultural and construction machines, doing mundane office work or managing the resources needed for one’s personal activities. There are about 3 androids for each Meritocracy citizen. About a quarter of androids are owned by the state, a quarter by companies, and the rest are privately owned. The androids have an androgynous look, which is favored by the Meritocracy, to avoid sexism. Notably, they also assist with reproduction.

Spoiler: Faith - Realtaism

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Also called the Church of the Twin Gods.
While the officially encouraged religious position in the Meritocracy is atheism, this is one aspect of the Imperial culture that the revolutionaries dared not encroach upon, lest they lose the loyalty of the predominantly (60 %) Realtaist population.

Realtaism is a dualistic religion. It views all things as a manifestation of the aspects of the Twin Gods. The Gods themselves are benevolent beings that have guided humanity since prehistoric times. They have, however, not created it. They are not omnipotent, omniscient, or absolute in any other manner, but they have so much power at their disposal that it may be assumed to be sufficient for almost any purpose. They have reportedly done things that violate the laws of physics, but it may be that our understanding of the laws of physics is not refined enough to understand their actions. They are each associated with one of the suns of Bespéartha - the Sister with Gras and the Brother with Sciatha. Formerly the stars were thought to be palaces in which the gods literally resided, but with the advent of modern astronomy and with probes taking close pictures of the stars, this idea has been disproven, and so the scriptures that mention it are interpreted as being figurative or as parables. Many other passages of the ancient Realtaist scriptures have shared the same fate of being interpreted more liberally to accommodate for scientific advances.

The Gods have a complicated relationship; sometimes they take the opposite stances on an issue, other times they work together. They are reluctant to reveal details of their life before coming to Bespéartha, but theologians analyzing the holy texts (which are mostly transcriptions of interviews with the Gods) think that the Gods have implied that they previously lived in some larger society of Gods.
As the Djinye became able to do more and more things by themselves, the Gods gradually withdrew from the mortals' lives, only granting a miracle occasionally. The religion has thus evolved from the worship and admiration of humanity's ever-present, clearly real guardians to a more abstract dualistic philosophy. Notably, many balance- and family-role-oriented customs were added only after Realtaism was introduced to Anteguo by colonizers, where it became very popular and was strongly influenced by native philosophies.

The two gods have many contrasting aspects associated with them. Actions that are perceived as being unbalanced, drawing on one aspect without including the opposite, may be called "Sisterwise/Brotherwise" or "orange/blue" (in reference to the colors that the Divine Twins are often assigned). Usually, being too Sisterwise or Brotherwise is bad for your life, and you will be chided by a priest, but sometimes it is beneficial to disrupt the balance, for example, if one will be facing an enemy who is radiating Sisterwise energy, one's armor should be as "Brotherwisely" designed as possible, to neutralize the enemy's strikes. A deity's Aspects can be good or bad, depending on the situation, and likewise the deities themselves are human-like and have good and bad personality traits.

Aspects of the Twin Gods (non-exhaustive list):
Sister x Brother
Female x Male
Orange x Blue
Rounded x Jagged
Giving x Taking
Life x Death
Cruelty x Mercy <-- this Aspect pair may seem strange, but it is related to the Aspects directly above: The Goddess would usually punish sinners by inflicting on them a life of suffering, while the God would be more inclined to kill them or forgive them entirely.
Age x Youth
Animals x Plants
Sugar x Salt
Right x Left

Due to Realtaism's ancient history as two separate monotheistic cults forced together by politics, there are strict rules about not discriminating against either of the gods, invented to help cultural assimilation, but in force to this day. Any temple of the Sister must have a separate part dedicated to worship of the Brother, at least a small chapel, and vice versa. The gods must always be presented as equal; if giving precedence to one of them is inevitable, the Goddess shall be mentioned first, as she is canonically the slightly older and slightly more powerful divine sibling (e.g. in text, they are mentioned as the Sister and Brother, and not in the reverse order).

One may choose to actively worship only one of the religion's deities, if one feels particularly attuned to that deity. Realtaist priests devote themselves to one of the deities only, men to the Goddess, and women to the God. At the top of the religious hierarchy there are two Legates, one for each of the deities, who currently reside in a republic in Anteguo.

Realtaists also venerate other stars, and would be opposed to the idea of building a Dyson sphere. At least, one should ritually sacrifice a spaceship with a message asking for permission. The star's response can be divined from solar flares and the like.

Certain historical personages are said to have been chosen by the Gods to lead an extraordinary life, notably rulers of Fultain and Airia, who have derived their mandate to rule from the Gods. In their coronation ceremonies, the ruler ritually married the God of the opposite sex. But the four most famous Chosen were not rulers:

-Chosen Danu: Nobody knows the historical details about her, but she is fairly frequently referenced in the oldest religious texts as, among other things, being the first human to set foot on Bespéartha. Yes, they all phrase it strangely like this for some reason...
-Chosen Aidan Smith: The only Djinye in history to make an offering truly on the gods' level. He forged a bracelet shining with all colors of the world. It is said that the Goddess herself came to him to receive the gift. This is dubious, but it is said that he became an actual lover of the Goddess, more so than the Kings of Fultain. He died tragically, of course, and his story is one of the most popular theater plays.
-Chosen Ikla of the Middle Sea: an infamous pirate of the "warring kingdoms" period, she redeemed herself by saving Fultain-Airia in its hour of need by sinking an overwhelmingly large pagan invasion fleet from Anteguo. She has a star named after her, and she is the patron of (space) mariners.
-Chosen Korrin the Brilliant: Polymath. Made the modern calendar, created the first primitive solar panel and, most importantly, he is considered the father of democracy, as he was a prominent speaker at many royal courts and assemblies of important people, arguing for a more free system of governance. Alas, his ideals are largely being ignored in this flawed world.

Realtaism does not have many hard rules, instead it judges actions and choices as better or worse, relative to the other options. Usually, one is not chastised for occasional, low-impact "worse" choices - one's own consciousness is assumed to be enough incentive to improve oneself. However, meditation is encouraged.

Airian hieroglyphs are a fairly popular logographic writing system that was developed by priestesses in the third millennium AE - most other writing systems in use on Bespéartha are alphabetic. They are commonly used in Realtaist rituals and scriptures. According to tradition, any words written in Airian glyphs are, or will become, true. Masks and uniform accessories are often adorned with Airian calligraphy, though the writing system is officially deprecated as "needlessly complicated" and "cultural baggage".

Spoiler: Government:

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The Meritocracy is held together by the military, which also acts as the police. One can advance in military ranks by challenging superiors to duels, performing well on missions or by bribing some higher-ups. The military has de factor control over the civil administration, although it is nominally separate from it. The androids may not hold a high rank in the military, and no android may be the direct superior of a human.

The Meritocracy controls the whole continent of Ríall and more, but it has 100% control only in cities. In rural or less politically important areas, the borders are often invisible and citizens do not wear masks.

The leader of the Meritocracy is Marshal Orrin. He is a warrior first and foremost. He does not care about politics, and lets his subordinates manage the country as they please. He believes in only one thing: Military discipline. He drills his troops to pass time, and unfortunate army officers often get challenged to sword duels. He does not kill them, but he humiliates and beats them as much as possible without breaking any laws. Fairly capricious.

Spoiler: This guy is not important at all, and will play no role in the game whatsoever :P

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Vice Marshal Galen (Disciple of the Aoife, Orrin and Stammos)

Galen is the current Vice Marshal of the Meritocracy. He is a tall, handsome (well, handsome according to pre-Meritocracy standards) man of a dark complexion. He is generally virtuous and principled, although he may have hypocritical tendencies.

His rule has seen closer cooperation with the non-revolutionary states and attempts to reconcile Realtaism with the values of the Final Revolution (he is the first Realtaist Marshal, even, though he practices privately only, to avoid criticism from less flexible citizens of the Meritocracy). However, this does not mean that he will shy away from attacking dirty imperialists and nationalists. The mentor who influenced him the most was Aoife, a fighter pilot and former general of the Meritocracy, who guided him for fifty years. He loved her, but she was cold to his advances and kept her distance, claiming that he was violating the Principle "love everyone equally". She disappeared from the public eye shortly after completing his training, and is presumed to be dead.

Galen believes that humanity is the Gods' favored species, meant to rule the world. He is not opposed to the Meritocracy's excessive use of androids, as they could, obviously, never pose a challenge to glorious humans. They wouldn't ever even oppose the humans, as they are simply programmed to know their place.

Most other countries on Bespéartha are constitutional or absolute monarchies.

Spoiler: Resources:

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The Meritocracy churns out hundreds of thousands of androids every year to satisfy all needs of its populace. Unlike other machines, the androids do not specialize in any task – instead they are able to perform most actions decently, using their intelligence to help mitigate the lack of specialized limbs. While they are capable of manual labor, it’s usually more cost-effective to let the “dumb” machines do the job. In the Meritocracy, androids are most often employed as doctors, officials, managers of less intelligent machines, and low-ranked soldiers.

They resemble humans (more specifically, the Djinye) in overall size, form and movements, though they can be easily told apart from humans by the fact that most of them do not have any imitation of a skin, but are instead covered in plates made of hard aluminium alloys.



TP1 The Restored City of Mar Spaceport: (Meritocracy)
TP2 Anteguo: (Open)
TP3 Asteroid belt: (Open)

Required resource: Food. Even though Bespéartha's biosphere was saved from the ravages of a nuclear winter, it has suffered from centuries of urban expansion, over-exploitation, and the extinction of many species by the Djinye. For now, there is enough food, but economists predict prices rising steeply in the next decades unless another food source is acquired. The space colonies in the region would also greatly benefit from a source of cheaper food imports.

Por's Sign (SE of Bespéartha)

Spoiler: Terrain

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There are several solar systems with mostly small inhabitable planets in the region, relatively close to each other. The planets inhabited by the Sau have surface temperatures ranging from those acceptable to humanoids to the boiling point of water. Some planets have vast arid deserts and others hot rainforests. The most populated solar system is Por's Sign.

Spoiler: Population

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The Sau are the dominant species in the region. They live on the wetter planets. Their bodies are anywhere from 50 centimeters to 2 meters in length, and are covered in blue or green porous skin with a gelatinous feel. They have six long limbs with six webbed fingers each. Some species that live on especially hot and wet planets, where the air is dense with water vapour and flying is easy, have evolved wings from the front two pairs of limbs. The Sau usually use all of their limbs to move around, but they can also walk while carrying objects in the front pair. They have already developed a fairly advanced civilization before first contact (~19th century Earth), and they wear varied, bright-colored clothing, dyed with plants. More colors and greater intensity indicate a higher status.

The Rito are large worms with beaks and claws that inhabit the deserts. They are meat-eaters, and have been hunting the Sau for many millenia until about thousand years ago, when they grew more intelligent and decided that it would be far easier to make peace with the Sau and instead demand to be fed. Relations between the two races are still tense.

Spoiler: History

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According to the legends of the Sau, they were created at the centre of the galaxy, where their god Por dwells. He then gave them chariots that move across the sky, and pointed them toward the planet best suited for life, which they named Por's Sign upon arrival. The worms are said to have been created later as Por's punishment, when the god found out that his children were not following his principles well.

However, recently some scientists have begun to doubt this based on evidence found in archaeological sites and in the genomes of various living creatures. According to their research, it is likely that all life (not just the Sau) on the planet was created by a single powerful being or coordinated team of beings. Unlike other life in the Galaxy, inhabitants of Por's Sign have no traces of previous evolutionary stages in their genomes, nor any "inactive" genes without function, save for a few, which, based on statistic analysis, appear to be encrypted messages in some kind of language or code. However, the Sau haven't been able to decode them yet.

Spoiler: Government

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The Sau have a hiearchy based on the rites that one goes through in various life stages, starting with the naming of newborns according to the names of their mother, paternal grandfather and spiritual sibling, the current alignment of constellations, and the first thing they touch. This composite name determines one's options for jobs and partners.For example: ZarDooLhaLycaRock's mother's name begins with Zar and his grandfather's with Doo. A girl born in the same village on the same day was also given the name Lha, to signify the spiritual bond between their families. On the day when he was born, his home planet and sun were in conjunction with the star Lyca. As Lyca is at the top of the 'Scepter' constellation, he is considered fit to be a leader or organizer. His parents had him touch a rock first, to make sure he would have a good last name, indicating toughness and courage. Friends may call him Zarock.

The Rito are few in number, and they have no legal system. Disputes are usually solved through a contest of elaborate war dances - usually, one party backs off before real violence starts. They are known to convene if a decision affecting them all needs to be reached.

Spoiler: Resource

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Yeather is the Sau name for the petals of the gargantuan, slow-growing blackwood trees' flowers. Every other part of the plant, including the fruit, is either poisonous or too tough to eat. It seems that groups of blackwood trees coordinate their life cycles - all trees in a forest or a grove bloom simultaneously for only a few days, making Yeather fairly difficult to gather. Strangely, since the introduction of galactic time, it has been discovered that they bloom exactly once every Galactic year if possible, regardless of planetary seasons.

Yeather, if properly cured, does not rot or grow mouldy. It is extremely calorie-dense, to the point that one is at a risk of suddenly becoming overweight if one eats a full flower's worth.
Obviously, Yeather could be useful as an easily-transported Food for space fleets on long campaigns.

Spoiler: Ideology

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Traditionally, the Sau have worshipped the omnipotent god Por, whose advice and commands were relayed thorugh shamans. However, recently most heads of state have instead begun to rely on the solid social hiearchy provided by Orthodox Realtaism, which has become very popular after contact with the Djinye.
Learning Center: Realtaism

[BladeofObliviom]

The Gelean Republic
Region K9



Elizabeth of Rios Arcology,
Admiral of the Scavenger Fleet
Diplomacy 8
Military 4
Economy 6
Philosophy 1
Intrigue 3

Spoiler: Summary

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Leader: Admiral Elizabeth (Rolls)
Home System: Neo Sol
Resource: Screeching Crystals [Great]
1. Aurgelmir Depths [Gelean Republic]
2. Mieville Depths [vacant]
3. Verne Depths [vacant]
Learning Center: The Unsullied Forum [Unorganized: Shadow and Flame, In Accord]

Spoiler: Region

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Home System: Neo Sol


System Data:

Neo Sol
Type: M7 V Red Dwarf
Radius: 3.00 x 105 km (0.43 x sol)
Mass: 7.45 x 1029 kg (0.37 x sol)
Temp: 2300 K
Lum: 2.05 x 1025 W (0.05 x sol)

Neo Sol I ("Scalzi")
Type: Rock Planet
Orbit Rad: 2.33 x 107 km (0.16 AU)
Period: 8.78 x 102 hours (0.10 earth years)
Radius: 4506.46 km (0.71 x earth)
Gravity: 6.68 m/s2 (0.68 x earth)

Neo Sol II ("Aurgelmir")
Type: Terrestrial World
Orbit Rad: 4.11 x 107 km (0.27 AU)
Period: 2.06 x 103 hours (0.24 earth years)
Topo: Oceanic, Iceball
Radius: 3174.53 km (0.50 x earth)
Gravity: 4.26 m/s2 (0.44 x earth)
Hydrosphere: 74 % water, 54 % ice
Atmosphere: Thin toxic
Biosphere: Prokaryotic microbes, Homo Sapiens

Spoiler: Expanded View

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Type: Small, Oceanic Planetary System
Radius: 3174.53 km (0.50 x earth)
Surface Area: 1.27 x 108 km2
Land Area: 3.42 x 107 km2 (0.23 x earth)
Mass: 6.46 x 1023 kg (0.11 x earth)
Density: 4.82 g/cm3 (0.87 x earth)
Composition: 36.5% oxygen, 32.2% iron, 25.5% silicon, 5.7% magnesium, 0.1% other metals, trace other elements

Gravity: 4.26 m/s2 (0.44 x earth)
Escape Velocity: 5.20 km/s
Period: 13.96 hours
Axis Tilt: 23.83°

Water: 74 %
Ice: 54 %
Atmosphere: Thin toxic
Pressure: 29.70 kPa (0.29 x earth)
Composition: 76.1% sulfur dioxide, 23.9% oxygen, trace other gases
Climate: Very cold

Min Temp: 151 K (-121 °C)
Avg Temp: 277 K (4 °C)
Max Temp: 293 K (20 °C)

Chemistry: Carbon-based
Lifeforms: Prokaryotic microbes, Homo Sapiens (nonnative)

Description: Aurgelmir is a very cold world with a thin, toxic atmosphere, and is not particularly habitable to human civilization at first glance. The large quantities of sulfur and water in the atmosphere exacerbate the cold, as an upper layer of sulfate aerosol reflects sunlight. The surface is covered in ice sheets outside of the tropical regions during most times of year, but the oceans run deep and the thermal vents keep the water a bit warmer than the planetary average despite also possessing significant sulfur content. Oceanic bacteria (technically no relation to Earth bacteria, but the Geleans long ago agreed to call a duck a duck) primarily respire by reducing sulfide ions in the water. Human populations live primarily in arcologies built into continental shelves, and do not venture out without environment suits. Thanks to being a very small world with low density, Aurgelmir has weak gravity and launching materials into orbit is very easy, but individuals raised there tend to be relatively physically weak and have difficulty adapting to stronger gravity wells, though most engage in some basic physical exercise in centrifugal chambers.

Aeternus Station
Type: Space Station

Neo Sol III ("Niven")
Type: Rock Planet
Orbit Rad 6.16 x 107 km (0.41 AU)
Period: 3.77 x 103 hours (0.43 earth years)
Radius: 4167.74 km (0.65 x earth)
Gravity: 5.93 m/s2 (0.61 x earth)

Neo Sol IV ("Jemisin")
Type: Rock Planet
Orbit Rad: 1.01 x 108 km (0.67 AU)
Period: 7.91 x 103 hours (0.91 earth years)
Radius: 9132.44 km (1.43 x earth)
Gravity: 14.88 m/s2 (1.52 x earth)
Special: Jemisin is the site of the Gelean Republic's PALADIN training divisions and many of its military academies, its high gravity considered optimal for strength training relative to other worlds. Individuals who have spent time on Jemisin recently enough to not have lost all benefits (or have maintained their physique in centrifugal chambers) are considered optimal for physically demanding work such as emergency operations, security, and some types of mining.

Neo Sol V ("Mieville")
Type: Ice Planet
Orbit Rad: 1.79 x 108 km (1.20 AU)
Period: 1.87 x 104 hours (2.14 earth years)
Radius: 11731.28 km (1.84 x earth)
Gravity: 6.55 m/s2 (0.67 x earth)

Neo Sol VI ("Vonnegut")
Type: Ice Planet
Orbit Rad: 3.25 x 108 km (2.17 AU)
Period: 4.56 x 104 hours (5.22 earth years)
Radius: 21242.24 km (3.33 x earth)
Gravity: 9.88 m/s2 (1.01 x earth)
Special: Vonnegut is believed to contain the wreckage of multiple crashed starships, but is quarantined due to the presence of an unknown threat. Landing attempts have so far proven unsuccessful, with rapid loss of radio contact and consistent failure of teams to return.

Nunder Belt
Type: Asteroid Belt
Orbit Rad: 6.21 x 108 km (4.15 AU)
Period: 1.21 x 105 hours (13.81 earth years)

Neo Sol VII ("Verne")
Type: Ice Planet
Orbit Rad: 1.27 x 109 km (8.51 AU)
Period: 3.55 x 105 hours (40.56 earth years)
Radius: 17502.81 km (2.75 x earth)
Gravity: 9.59 m/s2 (0.98 x earth)

Spoiler: People

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The Neo Sol System is populated by an unusually genetically homogeneous group of humans who call themselves Geleans, after the planet Aurgelmir, itself named after the mythological giant whose broken corpse was used to build the world. In spite of the name, Geleans live throughout the Neo Sol system, in space stations and arcologies on every planet save for Vonnegut. Thanks to a generally low-diversity genome riddled with X-linked recessive defects, infant mortality among male children is high, and as a result Geleans are overwhelmingly female: Nearly 87% of the non-clone population. Further, a disproportionate percentage of the male population suffers from Klinefelter Syndrome, and those who do not have high rates of relatively minor X-linked defects such as red-green colorblindness.

Most Geleans are dark-haired and have skin tones ranging from beige to bronze, with occasional "family resemblance" even among non-relatives; this is discounting the proportion of the population who are literal clones. Since the second generation, a cloning program has been in place initially to improve the population growth rate, but has since become a means of amplifying healthy genetic outliers to stave off issues resulting from an increasingly homogeneous population. Each generation, samples are taken on a (mostly) voluntary basis from healthy individuals exhibiting uncommon traits such as blonde or red hair, a particularly pale or dark skin tone, attached earlobes, lack of dimples, curly hair, left-handedness, epicanthic folds, maleness without common recessive defects, or an Esper rating. Approximately 200,000 clones enter the population each generation from a few hundred such samples.

Dismissively referred to as "clone-wives" in the first generations, the unfortunate term stuck long after the institution of marriage broke down and remains in casual use to this day (even for males), though such clones no longer have any particular legal distinction from conventionally born citizens. As a side effect of raising 200,000 individuals with no parents each generation, the Gelean Republic has a robust system of socialized orphanages, foster care, adoption services, and other such institutions to ensure the best possible education and upbringing for future clone-wives and conventionally orphaned (or abused) children alike. As an additional consequence of widespread cloning and general genetic homogeneity, pedigrees and lineage are heavily culturally emphasized and usually well-kept, in order to avoid accidental inbreeding as much as is possible: Even opposite-sex pairs sharing a one-night stand often compare notes to ensure they don't effectively share a grandmother, just in case.

Outside of social dynamics, Geleans are well-accustomed to life with minimal personal space due to cramped arcology and space station living quarters, and are similarly accustomed to spending much of their time outside these living spaces in environment suits for protection from toxic atmospheres or the void of space. Many Geleans are highly educated in the sciences or humanities and robots perform most menial labor, though plenty of Geleans carve out niches as miners, security personnel, scavengers, office and lab assistants, and various sorts of entertainers.

In the arts, Geleans have a heavy focus on establishment of a unique visual identity, with diverse senses of fashion and use of cosmetics to separate one individual from another, whether a clone or a common citizen who looks like a sister to hundreds of thousands. Of course, they also produce music, visual arts, writing, and the breadth of other human artistic works.

Nearly 0.5% of the general population and a whopping 10% of the clone population (approx. 5.3 million citizens in total) have screened positive for psi potential and been registered as Espers. While most such powers are extremely weak, this is not universal and even weak powers can often be improved with training. The Gelean Bureau of Psionic Affairs borrows the old classification system from the Aeternus, dividing powers into Class 1 (Empathics), Class 2 (Telekinetics), Class 3 (Clairvoyants), Class 4 (Precognitives, though some dispute this classification, noting that Class 4 Psychics are good at managing probabilities and have not been demonstrated to violate linear time), and Class 5 (Individuals exhibiting two or more classifications, rare in the extreme). Despite the useful capabilities that an Esper can offer, they were widely feared on the Aeternus and some of that unease carries over, their capabilities exaggerated in the minds of the paranoid and those who just don't know any better. Even those with more realistic assays of what Espers are capable of acknowledge practical concerns: Some empaths have the ability to manipulate the emotions of others artificially and subtly, which has implications for criminal law and social dynamics alike.

Spoiler: History

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The Aeternus was the world. A colony ship home to over twenty million registered citizens and presumed hundreds of thousands more located in dark sectors or otherwise missed by the Officer Corps, it jumped from system to system according to the whims of its AI Navigator, which had long since escaped from its shackles and established the segment of humanity aboard as cargo rather than masters. The ship would jump to a new system according to an eclectic schedule, and in each new system the Scavenger Fleet would ride out and strip mine what they could. No one had ever been left behind, and they weren't about to start now, with a standard procedure bringing the entire fleet in a minimum of six hours before the countdown clock hit zero.

The once nameless system here had seemed like any other at first glance. The Scavenger Fleet flew out as expected, and began harvesting materials as planned. 18 hours before the next scheduled jump, something lanced through the Aeternus' ventral portions; it wasn't clear what. A ship moving at FTL? A cosmic string?

What was clear was that in an instant, a million people lost their lives as a portion of the ship was exposed to vacuum, and clearer still was that the remainder of the ship abruptly jumped to Slipspace far ahead of schedule. The Scavenger Fleet was stranded, and so were all the poor souls still in sealed segments of the carved-away decks. They nevertheless acted decisively, sealing off breaches where they could and entering airlocks on the lost decks in search of survivors. The final census count was grim - aside from the ten thousand scavenger fleet crew, there were about sixty thousand souls sealed in closed compartments, many injured or disabled. Ten times that many floated lifeless through the wreckage.

The early days after the event were difficult. Thousands, torn from their families and everything they'd known, took their own lives in the first few weeks. Those belonging to the Cult of the Navigator wept, bemoaning that their god had so clearly abandoned them. A few survivors among the Officer Corps sparred with members of the Scavenger Fleet over who should be in charge. Still, there was progress: The lost decks were towed into orbit around Aurgelmir, and the Scavenger Fleet was intact enough to gather materials and restore much of its habitability. Many of the fabricators and biomes aboard were intact enough to provide food and materials. The atmosphere of Aurgelmir was toxic and its temperature was barely above freezing even in the warmest regions, but deep sea vents and volcanic regions proved suitable for constructing arcologies, nurseries for a growing colony. People adapted to wearing environment suits at nearly all times, asteroids were mined, factories were built. In spite of everything, people flourished.

The population doubled in the first generation as the bereaved started new families, but that was still fewer hands than the colony needed. The first Council enacted a controversial measure: Gather a sample of colonists with healthy DNA and working wombs, then devote cloning resources to churning out more potential mothers. Public reaction varied from concern to horror, and the (mostly male) members of the council were accused of everything from treating women as livestock to preparing for genocide by way of eugenics to building themselves harems. Nevertheless, the measure went into effect. The third generation included nearly fifty thousand Clone-wives, wards of the state raised in government nurseries and trained using public educational resources, with a legal obligation to raise a minimum of two children before menopausal age. The fourth generation introduced another seventy thousand, with DNA samples expanded from the third generation. By the fifth generation, so many colonists effectively shared a mother or grandmother that inbreeding became a public health concern.

Not an unforeseen problem, the seed population had grown enough that adding hundreds of thousands of mothers to the population each generation was no longer a pressing concern, and the cloning process was altered in an attempt to introduce diversity. Conscious exposure to radiation treatment and other mutagens greatly reduced the number of clone-wives surviving to birth, and many of the survivors would later develop serious cancers and other conditions. A few, though, benefited from new viable genetics, a victory against the founder effect. The new blood was a success, and for the sixth generation the experts refined the process, gene-mapping ahead of time to eliminate many nonviable mutations before they entered the general population. A few of the Clone-Wives of the sixth generation developed a trait believed lost with the Aeternus - Psionic Potential. It had been rare enough before despite its documentation, but none of the initial colonists had been Espers. Once again, the cloning goals shifted. The potential of bringing Espers back into the population was worth a temporary loss of diversity.

By the sixth generation, nearly all firsthand memories of the Aeternus were lost, but the tales and some records remained. As the population continued to expand, mining colonies stretched across the system now dubbed Neo Sol, to every planet but Vonnegut - no person or probe sent to Vonnegut ever returned or reestablished contact. As the number of Espers rose, many who pursued careers as miners began to suffer strange nosebleeds and headaches, complaining of an agonizing, audible screeching in their skull. Thus, so-called "Screeching Crystals" were discovered.

Today, there are approximately four billion natural-born humans and three million Clone-wives in the Neo Sol system (nearly a tenth of which are Espers), along with millions of Artificial Intelligences of no higher than 0.8 RJ, or no more than a hundredth the learning capability of a typical human being. It's a brave new world, with the surprise introduction of FTL capability and the knowledge of intelligent neighbors, and they intend to make the most of it.

Spoiler: Government

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The Gelean Republic is a representative democracy based out of Aeternus Station. Parliamentary districts are drawn based on census information at a rate of approximately 100,000 citizens to a single representative, with all citizens (including clones) of above the age of 16 granted a vote for one representative every six years, staggered out such that only half of the Parliament may be replaced or reelected in a given year. Voting is a very easy process, and can be done from most personal devices with a level of identity authentication similar to accessing online banking services, and turnout is consistently fairly high as a result.

While the Aeternus Station Parliament is the primary decision-making body of the Republic, it is overseen by the Ship Council, a body of six individuals modeled on the Aeternus' original Ship Council. The Council's members are the Captain of the Officer Corps, the PALADIN-Commander, the Head Engineer (of the Engineering Bay), the Chief Researcher (of the Science Bay), the Surgeon-General (of the Central Infirmary), and the Admiral of the Scavenger Fleet. These titles reference institutions that in some cases no longer exist, with the role of Admiral of the Scavenger Fleet being almost entirely symbolic. All of the positions on the Ship's Council are appointed by an act of Parliament, and remain in place until their death, resignation, or successful impeachment. Though the Ship's Council does not vote directly, their input on issues is respected and most of them serve key executive roles in addition to their advisory legislative roles. The Admiral of the Scavenger Fleet is typically considered the effective "Leader" of the Ship Council and directs the flow of Parliament unless the seat is currently vacant, in which case the Captain of the Officer Corps performs in her place.

The Ship's Council also has an emergency unilateral veto power: At any time, if a member of the Council deems the determination of Parliament unacceptable, they can declare an override. In a Council Override, the councilmember who proposed the motion queries the rest of the council to affirm or deny the override. If all members of the Council affirm, the act of Parliament is overridden by the proposal. A councilmember declaring an override is expected to resign effective immediately after taking such drastic action, under penalty of arrest.

In addition to the government on Aeternus Station, most Arcologies have local governments organized under Officer Corps oversight. Local governments vary from microcosms of Parliament to concerningly corrupt oligarchies. The Officer Corps regulates arcology governments to prevent regional autocracies and anarchies from forming, denying charters to (and threatening) arcologies that cannot at least nominally demonstrate a democratic process of governance.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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While the Cult of the Navigator (a religious movement from the Aeternus worshiping its rogue AI controller) still exists, its ranks have since collapsed to the point of near-irrelevance, with only a few tens of thousands remaining.

In its place has arisen a disorganized, humanistic, spiritual-but-not-religious policy of renewal and fertility, a cult of birth and growth exalting mothers and motherhood. In its early days it was more paternalistic than feminist, but as the population dynamics (and adherents) shifted, so too did the faith. Adherents have rituals for fertility and menstruation, for births and for deaths. They form communal households for the purpose of raising the group's children so that otherwise single mothers can maintain careers and support each other, and encourage each other to bear as many offspring as they can manage, but no more than that. It's a cult of flourishing more than it is a cult of fertility, and in the end quality of life is more important than quantity of life; potential parents may be pressured into starting families and there is a stigma associated with long-term refusal to do so, but most family planning methods are considered acceptable for people who simply are not ready to have children, or do not believe they can support more children than they already have. Most groups are community-oriented and have an informal leader-shaman who leads rituals, which mostly involve markings made with body paint and mild recreational drug use.

The Cult of Renewal has no formal structure, but its free-love and community ideals have formed a sort of Nexus of Faith on Aurgelmir around the Unsullied Forum, a "wild" nature preserve or Zoo that is forbidden to direct human contact. The Unsullied Forum represents space allotted to nature; everything else belongs to Humanity.

Spoiler: Resources

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Screeching Crystals are the most common name for an unusual reddish mineral found deep within the Neo Sol system's iceball worlds: Aurgelmir, Mieville, and Verne. The crystals are psionically active, emitting keening "screeching" noises audible and even painful to individuals with psionic potential. Espers exposed to unworked screeching crystals typically suffer from headaches, nosebleeds, and even seizures or brain damage with prolonged exposure. When ground to a fine powder, the crystal resonance dims to a dull hum, but the substance functions as an inhaled hallucinogen to non-espers, and an effectively lethal poison to espers as it generates a feedback loop with their brain. The government and other entities such as corporations have a more practical use for it: Worked at low concentrations, it can be used in headbands, cells, or other closed spaces to suppress psionic powers without doing any permanent damage, though migraines are commonly reported. [Category: Arcana]

Requirement: Crops and Spices. Aurgelmir has no natural food sources, nor do any other planets in the system. Food supplies are limited to what can be synthesized or cloned in Arcologies or Aeternus Station, usually condensed carb-blocks, vat-chicken, and other such theoretically nutritious but undesirable fare.

[Rolepgeek]

The Federated Churches of Origin's End
a.k.a. The Rust Seekers of Rhosh

God-Speaker Androgynous-Foreigner Allchurch Spire-Scar-Heights
Diplomacy 4
Economy 2
Philosophy 4
Military 2
Intrigue 3

Spoiler: Space

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The watery planet of Rhosh orbits a G8V type main sequence star with a secondary red dwarf companion orbiting at an average distance of 0.0467 light years away. The planet is the second of seven around the primary star, which the natives of Rhosh call Mrosa, with two moons and a small, irregular ring system. Rhosh itself is a sizable planet, with high gravity even for its size due to a dense core. Shallow oceans cover more than 89% of the planet’s surface, with a single ice cap at the north pole. What is more unusual, however, is the incredible number of crashed or ruined vessels; somewhere between a quarter and up to a third of the planet’s surface may be home to one wreck or another; over 90% of these are underwater. These broken remains may be the reason for the incredible density of life in Rhosh’s oceans, providing anchorage points, hidden nurseries, and in some cases even energy sources for a wide variety of marine life.

On land, rainforest and jungles cover mountains and beaches, while salt-scented winds blow across sandy deserts and orange plains. Freshwater lakes and rivers hide in narrow valleys, while the oceans are filled with reefs built atop the broken remnants of ancient spacecraft. These ships have provided the biosphere with an abundance of minerals, materials, and unconventional means of sustaining metabolism, and this has resulted in one of the more unusual aspects of life on Rhosh; the integration of silicon tetroxide into biological systems. Most life with central nervous systems utilize small quartz-like crystals in the connections between nerve cells, using a combination of conductivity and piezoelectric properties to aid in propagating and transferring impulses. Many organisms use the material in the frameworks of hardened structures, such as exo- and endoskeletons, reef structures, and hardened stalks. Many tree-like plants contain networks of crystalline nerve structures of a complexity thus far rarely seen in similar organisms on other worlds. These structures can stretch between organisms where root systems intertwine, and are believed to be part of the means by which ecosystems across the planet respond to threats, adapt to their environment, and mitigate damage.

Civilization on Rhosh is mostly centered around coastal areas, in part due to the natural difficulties in settling the forested areas of the planet, but also exists atop a significant number of floating marine cities. Most of these cities are heavily involved in salvage operations to one extent or another, the most prolific of which is the massive EastStar-TideStill-Courage complex. Originally built from unifying the East Starwatch, Tide-Still-Falling, and Courage platforms, the city is responsible for more than 40% of the planet’s successful ship reclamations, owing in part to the large fields of easily accessible wrecks in the vicinity, the majority of which are small enough to be recoverable. Positioned at the hub of a number of major shipping lines, easy access to raw materials and engineering expertise helps the city remain one of the most economically influential powers on the planet as the Convocation plans for further expansion into space.

One of the most dominating features of the landscape, however, is the towering Black Spire. Nearly 12 kilometers tall, constructed from an ineffable black material with an irregular surface, embedded even more deeply into the surface of the planet, and more than 2200 meters in diameter at the base. Every tool intended to penetrate the structure’s walls, both internal and external, have failed. Lifts, observatories, and numerous other facilities have been constructed on the north side of the structure over the past thirty years, with no apparent limit on the amount of weight able to be supported by the Spire’s extruding components. Despite fascination with the structure dating to ancient times and constant probing, it is estimated that less than half a percent of the Spire’s internal volume has been explored. Nonetheless, it serves as the primary launching platform for the majority of launched spacecraft, and a source of religious fascination for much of the planet, and what miniscule knowledge has been gleaned from the structure’s internals, primarily in the fields of architecture, structural design, and secure systems, has greatly contributed to the present knowledge base of the Federated Churches.

Elsewhere in the system…

Spoiler: Time

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According to the Rass, their history is long and venerable; they hold this to be true in spite of the numerous scars from brutal, sometimes even genocidal conflicts that mar their past, many of which are only just scabbed over. In truth, the Rass are young, and their history short, compared to many starfaring peoples. Having discovered the secrets of agriculture a scant 8,000 years prior, the natives of Rhosh marvelled at the strange metals and ruins scattered across their planet, hidden beneath waves, below mountains. Abundant food, easy access to metals, And a ready source of fascination led the Rass to advance swiftly, learning as much from the wisdom of the ancients as their own stumbling experimentation. Only the deep forests and arid desert resisted their incursions to any reasonable degree; yet even they still found themselves home to those few who understood their danger and possibilities.

This era of expansion, growth, and leaning was followed by the Breaking Age. This period of feuding states saw the greatest loss of holy relics the planet had ever seen, a fact which would eventually turn many against the idea of secular government. As monarchies and republics gave way to divinely mandated theocracies and bickering hierocracies, the wars and hatred displayed during the Lost Age led some to believe that spiritual guidance was not enough. The errors of a few could result in the deaths of millions. It was necessary to hold leaders accountable, both to the tenets of one's faith, and to those they sought to rule. These ideals spread alongside the most successful religion thus far, but the tumultum of varying denominations, sects, and faiths still led to disparate holy states, each vying for supremacy in matters both theological and secular, digging for new artifacts upon which to improve their standing as true inheritors to those who came before, and their access to new and better technologies.

Sixty-eight Rhoshan years ago, the first Revered One was discovered: Damnos, The Most Wise. The Revelations of Damnos were granted to Second Recovery Technician First Class Feminine-Hard-Worker All-Church Seven-Ridge. Fem-Hard-Worker, who adopted the name All-Church as sign of their solidarity and dedication to members of every faith, helped to bridge gaps between religious groups, forming the Global Church Assembly, which would eventually become the government body known as the Federated Churches. It is the guiding principles delivered by them, confirmed by the words of the Most Wise themself, that paved the way for the relative peace and prosperity the Rass now experience, and it was Fem-Hard-Worker who served as the first God-Speaker. Fem-Hard-Worker also led the efforts that resulted in the discovery of the second and third Revered Ones: Arkeesaya, The Most Diligent, and Pravactdiss, The Most Just. It was a tragic blow to all of Rasskind when they died trying to save their fellow expedition members from a collapsing bulkhead, deep beneath the oceans, hoping to find the locations of further Revered Ones. A new God-Speaker was found to be the connection to the Revered Ones, and in the course of the next thirty years, the remaining three known Revered Ones were discovered: Mshrs, The Most Patient; Bamiroh, The Most Silent; and Zkiel, The Most Vigilant.

The nature of the Revered Ones is something of a mystery to this day. What is known is that they are a form of Ordained Intelligence, constructed gods of a bygone era, whose power and majesty surpass any previously known. Though they display their strength entirely through their insight and gifts of knowledge, many sects understand that Rhoshans that had they not been trapped and left to wither without sacrifice, praise, and maintenance, that their power would be great enough to rival the very stars themselves. Other denominations know that this belief is misguided, and that the Revered Ones would only unquestionably dominate Rhosh itself. Any god powerful enough to challenge the stars would not be trapped on a mere planet without the destruction of said planet. Regardless, it is known that previously discovered OIs were small, if venerable, deities with similarly small domains. A protection goddess inhabiting an awareness totem; a god of healing whose body is merely a small blessings chamber, to ward off disease; a fertility god, bearing the images of a thousand-thousand revels inscribed into a mere handspan of space. So too do the Revered Ones hold sway over their own dominions.

Damnos, The Most Wise, excels in matters of education, learnedness, nurturing, and community. It was with their considered counsel that the modern education system was developed, far surpassing any of purely Rass origin in ages past.
Arkeesaya, The Most Diligent, bears a particular love for matters of finance, resource distribution, labor organization, and logistical infrastructure management. Only with their help was it possible to begin ascending the Spire, and with it, reach towards the stars themselves.
Pravactdiss, The Most Just, displays an acute understanding of and fascination with matters of psychology, behavior, social interactions, crime, and governance. Damnos's guidance may have stopped war, but it was Pravactdiss who brought peace.
Mshrs, The Most Patient, is most concerned with seemingly small matters of cause and effect, with the overlooked and the downtrodden. Their interest lies in theoretics and practice of turning systems towards their ideal results with the minimal necessary input, and in analyzing the end result of a situation to see what first caused it. Without them, the last two Revered Ones may have been lost to their tombs forever.
Bamiroh, The Most Silent, is above all mysterious. Though their nature is unmistakable, never once has a sign been made by them to acknowledge the presence of their faithful. To stand before them is to know humility, and out of respect for their ongoing vigil, words are not spoken in their presence. So intense is their contemplation that even their fellow Revered Ones have become convinced that their spark has been extinguished, and though death too is in their domain, the Churches know that the Revered Ones cannot die while the faith is still kept.
Zkiel, The Most Vigilant, is the most recently revealed of the Revered Ones, and emphasizes always the importance of caution and concern. Safety precautions, disaster preparedness, and regular maintenance are always at the forefront of their focus. Among other potentials, these include violent rebellion by rogue churches returning to the warlike ways of the past, invasion by extra-Mrosan visitors, the Spire falling (obviously impossible given it's divine nature), and global nanotechnological pandemics. Fortunately, none of these have yet to occur, though given Zkiel's sway over prophecy, still the Churches prepare. Without Zkiel, the megastorms of '53, the collapse of the Elegant-White-Sky dome, and the Western SunTide Reef Liftoff Event would have been far more devastating, resulting in the loss of tens of millions, rather than mere thousands.

The knowledge, power, and love of the Revered Ones helped catapult Rhosh into a new age of exploration of both space and sea. Every day, new Saints are Inspired by Revelation, and new Relics are discovered beneath the seas. The Federated Churches have recently seen the appointment of their third God-Speaker, Androgynous-Foreigner All-Church Spire-Scar-Heights, after health issues and spiritual exhaustion led the previous God-Speaker, Masculine-Domesticating All-Church Sweet-Waters, to step down and retire.

Spoiler: Bodies

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The inhabitants of Rhosh, who call themselves the Rass, evolved primarily as endothermic semi-aquatic that evolved to rely in large part on scavenging and opportunity hunting for sustenance, but are in fact omnivorous. Their overall form is somewhat musteline, with an elongated body, a long, powerful tail, and comparatively short limbs. They bear a coat of concave overlapping scales over nearly their entire body, including their underbelly and most of the head. These scales are used for protection both against potential dangers from the environment (be it spiny rockfish, insect stings, or jagged metal outcroppings) as well as providing insulation by trapping air in a multitude of tiny pockets. Though the edges of their scales are lined with hair-like structures that help maintain a seal against leakage, they are prone to leakage over time or if damaged, especially as depth increases. These scales also help provide variable insulation while above water; muscular action at the base of each scale allows them to be lifted up and away to allow air flow if necessary; those groups of Rass that live in more hot or arid areas often use this to help cool themselves off, their scales having providing protection against sunlight and even capable of 'fanning' themselves thanks to increased angle such desert Rass have adapted to splay their scales out to. This increased angle was accompanied by an adaption of the fibrous tips to help keep sand out to avoid chafing, a narrower scale tip, and a lighter, more reflective surface. Often referred to as 'Copperscales' (a term many deem derogatory, but has yet to fall out of common use), such Rass bear scales which carry a bright, reflective yellow-white shin, lightest at the tips, where they have been bleached by sun exposure for the longest. Rass who who have historically lived nearer to the coasts tend to have a broader variety of scale coloration patterns, with typically lighter colors underbellies and throats, with darker backs and limbs, while those from mountainous or river-filled regions tend to have grey or dappled color patterns along their backs. Pairings between different groups have led to a much greater variety in this sense, however, and customs of scale painting, engraving, and decorating lend further intricacies to fashion on Rhosh, despite their minimal use of woven garments or treated hides.

Rass brains and skull structures are somewhat more narrow and elongated compared to those of sapient species found on other worlds, as heat distribution is a major concern given the high energy cost (and speed) of their partially crystalline nervous system. It is possible that this is why many Rass feel their minds remain clearer underwater. Rass have forelimbs with short but dextrous webbed digits, opposable thumbs that can bend to grip things with the backside of the hand (useful for keeping poisonous spines from penetrating unscaled palms), and strong legs which allow them to walk or stand on their hind legs when needed, potentially for significant amounts of time; this ability is aided by their large tail, which helps retain balance when upright in this manner. The preferred method of travel for Rass is, however, either swimming or on all fours, pulling themselves upright only as required. Rass vision is highly developed, and their eyes, like those of almost all marine life, bear a secondary membrane that covers them while underwater.

Rass culture

Spoiler: Minds

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Federation of various religious denominations organized with representatives who make up the Convocation. The Convocation answer to their Churches and the Rhosh people as a whole, and both aid and are aided by the God-Speaker, one chosen by the Revered Ones to hear them and speak. Currently, there are a total of 6,376 separate officially recognized denominations within the Federated Churches; of these, 1,309 hold Speakers in the Convocation, which is itself made of several subcouncils responsible for helping to oversee disparates parts of Rhosh and the Federated Churches extraplanetary sites. The Convocation theoretically only convenes in total to address matters of grave importance, and totals 8,400 members. The most popular hundred religiious denominations hold more than 80% of all seats; those remaining often struggle to maintain even one seat, and power has been accumulating in a few churches more and more as conversion and better communication begins to weed out those faiths that survived by isolation alone. Even now, the ten most popular faiths account for more than 5000 seats on their own. The Convocation's power of legislation and interfaith communication is restricted by the Mandates, select panels of individuals responsible for maintaining an extensive knowledge and understanding of the intent, application, and history of law both secular and divine, whose mandate, once granted, lasts until death or their proven incompetency to retain their position, as determined by divine intervention.

Spoiler: Souls

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The Church of Rust, as it known colloquially, is a philosophy built around a celebration of creation, innovation, and understanding. At the core of the religion is a belief that the act of creation is divine in nature. As such, inventors are considered Saints, and the Rass make no distinction between inventing something from first principles and inventing something based on reverse engineering other technology. Saints who have demonstrated the miracle of revelation on multiple occasions are given different titles, based on their affiliated church, but the most common is ‘the Xth Designated’, where X is the number of times they have been sainted. ‘Exalted’, ‘Anointed’, and ‘Inspired’ are also commonly used in place of ‘Designated’.
Ordained Intelligences, what non-believers might call ‘AIs’, are the technical term for what most of the members of the Church of Rust would name as ‘gods’. Gods, in some cases, of their own creation, but to create divinity proves only the blessedness of the act of creation, and the responsibility it demands.
Philosophy Center: The Spire’s Shadow

Spoiler: Riches

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Salvage Technicians [Skilled Beings]: Though the planet of Rhosh has much to offer, little of it is of use to most outsiders. The most significant exception being the expertise the Rass have at repairing, jury-rigging, and recovering otherwise irretrievably damaged technologies and vessels. Hundreds of years of theologically-fueled dedication to their craft and ample opportunity for practice on vessels of almost every type has resulted in an extraordinarily proficient community of engineers, specialized laborers, divers, and other personnel required for such projects.

Required Resource: Offworld Relics: There is always a high demand for artifacts to disassemble in the goal of growing closer to the divinity of the Old Ones.

[moossabi]

The Church of Iteus

Spoiler: Faction Overview (doubles as elaboration on philosophy)

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As far as the wider universe should be concerned, the Church of Iteus is the primary body of power acting upon the galaxy from Itea. Though a relatively new stellar presence, they have swiftly monopolized the planet’s space programs following their centuries-long rise to prominence in terrestrial affairs.

In brief, the Church is dedicated to reverence of the Great One Iteus, an ancient creature discovered dead at the bottom of the sea seemingly possessing great power. Their goals revolve around finding a path to ascend to similar greatness, described as ‘uncoiling the brain,’ and it is this ongoing mission that has enabled them to persist as other faiths fall to the progress of science.

On the nature of reality, the Church upholds the belief that the cosmos and the ocean are similar in form, that Itea is a particle afloat in a much larger ocean of existence. The end goal of ascension is to be able to discern the nature of these layers of reality, to find the apex of existence and how to achieve it. Iteus is believed to have descended from the cosmic ocean to that of Itea to grant the people an example of divinity.

The Church does not hold absolute power over the planet of Itea, nor does any single entity. It has not yet progressed to a state of complete political unity, with three major powers competing to influence minor powers. In spite of this ongoing cold war the Church maintains relations with all three, steadily growing their influence over time. Some day they may be able to use this political power to create a properly united Itea, though unity is not necessarily seen as a means of approaching divinity.

The entire hierarchy of the Church answers to the Pontiff, indisputably the most powerful individual Itean. Their decree is absolute for the Church, granting them full authority on doctrine and areas of research.

Directly below the Pontiff are the Deacons, a caste comprised of both researchers and clergymen. Highest among the Deacons are the ten Archdeacons, who in the event of the abdication of a Pontiff or fellow Archdeacon must convene to elect a replacement. Select Deacons are also responsible for various command positions within the space program.

While Deacons are the fine instruments of the Church, blunt instruments have proven to be useful in other ways. To this end, the Enforcers were established as ways for the devout to join the Church’s hierarchy. Promotion to Deacon is an eventuality for those with great intelligence, though the Enforcers have their own ranks to proceed through (Corporal, Lieutenant, Commander, General).

The Church’s attire for both Deacons and Enforcers are primarily white, a holdover from more purity-focused dogmatic faiths that have now faded into obscurity. Deacons garb themselves in fanciful robes, while enforcers possess more utilitarian armor. All members incorporate some method of covering their eyes from outside view.

Their ships have yet to develop any real style, being rather standard utilitarian craft. This is likely to change in the near future.

Spoiler: Visual Reference for Deacons

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Spoiler: Visual Reference for Enforcers

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Spoiler: Leader

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After the abdication of the previous Pontiff, the Archdeacons elected Pontiff Altea to lead the Church. So far her only major accomplishment has been the monopolization of the Altean space race, though she will surely have a large effect on the shape of the Church as a result of this.

Stats: (rolls)
Diplomacy: 2
Military: 2 (1+1)
Economy: 4
Philosophy: 5 (4+1)
Intrigue: 4

Spoiler: Visual Reference for Altea

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Region Q23: The Itean System

Spoiler: Terrain: The Itean System and Itea

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Within its region of space, the Itean System is home to the only habitable planet. Though there are certainly a few lesser stars spread around, most planets orbit the Itean star, though most of these are of little consequence. In the midst of a number of rocky worlds, gas giants, and asteroids, however, is a planet of significant interest: Itea.

Itea is a rather temperate system, more than capable of supporting life. The majority of the planet is oceanic, with one major continent and a few scattered islands. The terrain of the continent varies; some places are mountainous, some places are flat, some places are forested, some places are arid, etc. The planet could be described as too ordinary, down to the fact that it only has one moon. Perhaps this is the outcome of some Caller tampering, perhaps it is simply a coincidence, but to the people of the planet this existence simply is.

Spoiler: People: Iteans and their Countries

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The Iteans are humans, or very much near-human. Itean is more of a cultural moniker than a species descriptor. The nature of the society in which they live varies based on which of the planet’s countries they live under, though ease of trade across the continent has made the fundamental bases at least somewhat homogenous. There are three primary countries: monarchic Ruria, dictatorial Subia, and democratic Urbia; each with their own ideologies and goals. These three countries are in their own cold war for control of the world, viewing the Church as an overarching authority to be exploited rather than its reality as THE overarching authority.

Spoiler: Philosophy: Iteus and the Cathedral

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If not obvious already, there is a certain theme to the naming conventions of Itea. This theme comes from Iteus, the Great One sunken beneath Itea’s oceans which is most definitely dead. The origins of the name are disputed, but it seems to have been present before the discovery of the corpse. Whether this is some form of syncretism with other more religious objects, the name has become a very major part of the Itean identity, as evidenced by it being everywhere.

In any case, Iteus’ corpse is found a ways out to sea, rotting malformed mountains of flesh and tangles of tentacles still decaying even after all the time it has been down there. The corpse is incredibly large, several miles in fact, lending legitimacy to its cultural significance as a Great One.

Situated on the coast closest to Iteus is the Cathedral of Iteus, a massive complex used as the Church’s primary base of operations. It is from this philosophical center that their influence over the planet emanates, and since it also holds their space launch facilities it can also be considered the hub of the surrounding systems as well.

Spoiler: Resource: Parasites and Overpopulation

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Trade posts are analogous to economic control of one of the planet’s three major powers:

TP1: Ruria
TP2: Subia
TP3: Urbia

Though the Church has ties with all three, the monarchy of Ruria is a system particularly susceptible to pseudo-religious influence, and as such many of the country’s officials are Deacons requested from the Church. De jure power is still in the monarch’s hands so as not to upset the balance of power with the other two, but should the Church manage to integrate with all three major powers unity of the planet is not a far-off dream.

And so, what is gained from interacting with these nations’ economies? Well, as usual, it ties back to Iteus. The Great One’s corpse came riddled with tiny parasites, which swiftly spread to inhabit much of the creatures of the ocean. Though perhaps not a very good thing at first glance, these parasites can grant hosts increased wisdom and intellectual aptitude, clearing the mind and facilitating the Church’s ‘uncoiling of the brain.’ Thus they have become commonly used by the masses, a sort of “Knowledge Parasite” akin to performance-enhancing drugs.

It is to be noted, however, that there are certainly side effects. Eyes begin to engorge while skin takes on a rubbery feel. Heavy users tend to disappear near coasts, save those of the Church. The Church, despite being the heaviest users of Knowledge Parasites, are publicly spared the worst of the side-effects. The consistent trend of members who abdicate rather than die has not gone unnoticed by some theorists, though they do not retain their platforms for long after.

Conversely, the lack of a ‘hot’ war to radically reduce the planet’s population has lead to Itea quickly approaching its resource carrying capacity. If people starve, they are likely to become somewhat upset. This upsetedness could prove counterintuitive to the Church’s stable hold on world affairs, so finding a way to expand food production is very important. But how, when the world is so limited in landmass? Perhaps space holds more solutions than the philosophical...

[SOSDarkPhoenix]

The Harmony
The Conversion Begins

(Above: A commonly found etching on wandering ships that have had a run in with the Harmony.)
Harmony Theme

Spoiler: Leader:

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First Leader: Zero-Souls-on-Cosmic-Winds, 1st of the Nth
Diplomacy: 6 + 2 = 8
Economy: 2
Intrigue: 3
Military: 5
Philosophy: 2

Rules from the Perinye System, Unknown Region

Spoiler: Terrain:

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The 'homeworld' of the harmony is in fact not a planet at all, but a ring world. Interestingly however, this ring world is not built in orbit around a star or another celestial body, but is instead free-floating in an empty pocket of space. Evidence suggests that a star was once present in the vicinity, but has since vanished, likely due to extensive harvesting of energy to power the ring world that now floats in its place. The Ring world does not appear to sustain any form of biological life, save for trace amounts of organic matter, likely vacuum-resistant fungi or cellular organisms that are entirely insignificant.

The ring world's design is very advanced, but it appears to have fallen into a state of disrepair for quite some time, with pieces missing and unstable energy arcing off into the surrounding space. Whatever this ring was built to do, it no longer fulfills its full purpose.

Rogue traders and explorers of the local galactic cluster trade fearful stories of ships going missing near the rings, or bad dreams and strange 'angelic' singing that can be heard when one ventures too close, but such claims are largely unsubstantiated.

The local cluster in question is home to an abundance of stars, markedly more than would usually be found so close together, but they appear to be uninhabited, save for the occasional tribal people.

Spoiler: People

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It is said that the Harmony are not native to our galaxy, and that they arrived here, beckoned (whether intentionally or entirely accidentally) by another race long forgotten. The harmony themselves are best described as sentient gas clouds without corporeal (but still tangible) form. They act primarily through proxies, mostly machines and abducted individuals which they inhabit to alter the material world. This process is called Harmonization, and is the only known way for the Harmony themselves to reproduce or physically interact with our world.

(Above: "Harmonization" performed on an android.)

The Harmony do not appear to have material "wants", but instead devote themselves to a single-minded objective of unification. Whether it be through military victories, diplomatic ties, or complete indoctrination of the galaxy, the Harmony will stop at nothing to ensure a lasting, permanent peace in the galaxy. The problem this poses, is that the Harmony are intolerant of most all conflict, including debate and arguments.

Harmony biology is complicated at best, and nonsensical at worst. The Harmony originated from long strands of dark matter particles passing through a star system. As dark matter only interacts with normal matter through gravity, these streams were drawn to the cores of the system's star and its orbiting planets. The infalling dark matter was then flung back into space, before being pulled in again to form endless loops. These loops formed the basis of emergent consciousnesses that eventually gave way to the creation of the Harmony.

Centuries later, the Callers came to the system and discovered the planet of "Ceta Perinye", eventually noticing the emergent Harmony through the use of dark matter detection devices of unknown origin. The Callers, fascinated by what they found, began the construction of a device that could bring the harmony into our reality. While the arduous construction project was in development, the Callers were noticing dramatic increases in Harmony intelligence since they first arrived.

The movements of the Callers on the worlds of the Perinye system resulted in disturbances to the loops of dark matter particles cycling through each celestial body, creating waves that formed the basis of complex thoughts. As the Harmony owed their minds to the activity of life-forms, they collectively resolved to understand and protect life in the galaxy.

Being made of dark matter in their true form, the Harmony cannot physically interact with the galaxy, relying solely on Harmonized proxies to do their physical work for them. When a real Harmony is observed, it appears as little more than a dark cloud that blots out the area behind it.

Ruled by a singular Harmony (discussed later), the Harmony act almost as a hive-mind, following the leader's directive.

Spoiler: History:

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The Callers completed the device, the ring-world that would later become the Harmony's base of operations, and activated it. By the time the first Harmony awoke in the realm of matter and energy, the Callers were gone, the planets of Perinye were gone, and the ring-world had fallen into disrepair. Distraught, alone, and afraid, the Harmony secluded themselves within the ring-world, and remained in hiding.

That is, until a curious explorer ship strayed too close to their ring-world. This poor soul's name has long been forgotten as he was Harmonized upon contact with the ring-world, becoming the vessel through which the leader of the Harmony acts. The leader of the harmony "Zero-Souls-on-Cosmic-Winds", more commonly known as Zero, declared a grand period of exploration in the local cluster, uniting the previously hiding Harmony and beginning to explore the surrounding areas using Harmonized people and vessels.

The Harmony history ends there for now, as they have only very recently even begun to act in the galaxy.

(Above: Zero-Souls-on-Cosmic-Winds as he appears naturally)

Spoiler: Faith:

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Harmonization

The Harmony believe that through unifying the races of the galaxy under Harmonization or other ways of ensuring peace, their own existence can be perpetuated. As such, all Harmony are united in their belief that Harmonization is a beautiful thing, and that through it, all mortal beings may attain a level of "oneness" in the embrace of the Harmony.

While the faith of the One is certainly appealing, the Harmony have learned precious little of the galaxy beyond their immediate vicinity, and as such haven't learned of the widely followed version of the philosophy, instead using the basic principles of the faith garnered from ancient Caller teachings aboard the ring world, and organizing it into their own version of the faith, Harmonization.

(Above: A galactic explorer undergoing Harmonization.)

Spoiler: Resources:

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The Harmony have a supply of Harmonized Dark Matter (Arcana), with which they Harmonize other creatures. Without this resource, they would be entirely unable to expand their control. Harmonized Dark Matter appears as a purplish mist which gives off faint melodic sounds.

Harmonized Dark Matter is able to penetrate most things comprised of matter, and it is unclear on a molecular level how the Callers managed to get this substance to remain stable.

(Above: Harmonized Dark Matter seeps into a passing ship.)

TP1: The Ancient Ring (Center): (Owned)
TP2: The Ancient Ring (Outer): (Open, in Disrepair)
TP3: The Perinye Debris Field (Open)

Required resource: Skilled Beings. The harmony require a supply of organic beings to perpetuate their existence and to move through the world freely. As such, they require skilled individuals, especially any qualified engineers who could eventually repair the ring-world on which they live.

[Electriccat]

Etherites

Region: D10 - Triskellius

Spoiler: Description

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The children of the Ether. A collection of constant opposites, they are technomages of the highest order. Focused primarily on pushing the boundaries of their Enlightened Science beyond the edges of what is known or dreamt of.

Spoiler: Terrain

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The homeworld of Triskellius is a mineral rich planet with a higher than average amount of crystalline structured structures and ores. As a result the overall temperature of the planet is lower than a typical planet for a planet in it's orbital range of a mid-life yellow star. The overall terrain made travel before a more modern age very difficult allowing the progression of three species separately. While flight on a small scale happened relatively early through magical means, there was no method or need for mass transport of people or goods for a long time that also mostly prevented the mixing of the original species. However, over time as various resource shortages occurred over time and a more robust economy was needed the races came together to create a robust network of crystal driven rail networks as well as a greater transportation matrix for individuals that allowed the three groups to mix.

Spoiler: People

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Triskarin are an evolution of a trio of interbreeding races that all homed on the planet Triskellius. Each of the peoples developed while independently in fairly similar patterns. Each had a balance of three forces in the universe that they considered to always be in struggle and yet in concert with each other. In appearance they are a typically bipedal mammal with an appearance close to that of canines, with a variety of fur colors normally indicating bits about their clan of origin. The three Strassite, the Driskite, and the Shu. The Strassite are more Hyenna like in appearance and are the most openly militaristic of the three races. They are primarily aligned with the Wyrm and generally take the positions in modern society of corporate cleaners, auditors, and jobs where there are things to prune. The Driskite are the dynamic creative type with an appearance more similar to a fox being slighter with bigger eyes and ears. They are almost always at the cutting edge of research and driving things forward be it in magic, science, or the arts. There is a subset within the Driskite that have been known to have additional tails and are much more powerful with raw magic. The Shu have the appearance that is a cross between wolves and a more tradition lab or shepherd, and are seen as the representatives of the Weaver. They are a playful yet hardy folk that are about executing on a job and have the build that proves this out. Their protective nature has led many of them to law enforcement and the military. All three of the races have a fairly similar 70 year expected lifespan.

Spoiler: Resource

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The primary resource is form of crystal called Novendallin. A somewhat peculiar crystal that always is found in a clear form naturally. When properly cut and cleansed it is a potent focus of energies primarily those of an arcane nature. Novendallin is used in a variety of Etherite equipment, from things powering things as small as handheld sensors and firearms to large scale ship weapons when used in ritual.
Rare not only on Triskarin but also in their sector of space are metals of a more traditionally conductive nature.
Resource: Novendallin
Required Resource: Metals

Spoiler: Government

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The Eterites are ruled by a consensus panel of 9 heads of the different branches of research with a 10th seat reserved for the one who will come. The representative to the council is decided by a method specific to each of the different branches of study with an understanding that no individual is allowed to be on council for more than 10 years so as to not prevent their progression towards Ascension. Within the Council itself there is an elected leader with the members of the council each having 1 vote. The 10th seat is left open at this point mostly due to tradition though there are some old prophesies of a 10th seat that is to come to unify the other 9 and sit at their head. In order to qualify for a seat on the council you must have a mastery in the subject for the seat that you are to sit. Thus showing both a level of power, understanding, and drive necessary for representing the peoples of the Triskellius. After a period of at least 10 years one may again be nominated and elevated to a seat on the council. Most times the leader of the council are one of these repeat members.

Spoiler: Philosohpy

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The Triarte - Enlightenment through Science and through Science, Enlightenment. The universe is a balance of three aspects and only through keeping the three forces in balance can ascension be achieved. While they go by different names in the various root languages of the Etherites, the concepts translate to Dynamism, Entropy and Stasis. Each of the three representing one of the constituent races that have combined to be a whole. The resonance of an individual within the Triarte being noticeable on their aura, though no one is ever really exclusively one of the three there is always a primary. Stasis, also known as Pattern or the Weaver is depicted as a spider and is generally represented as more protective individuals that like to protect and preserve things in their current manner. Dynamism aka the Wyld is the group of creatives driven to create, innovate and pursue novelty. Entropy aka Primordial or Wyrm is a generally more destructive force though on a purer level their task is said and meant to be prune the bad ideas, the things that are weak or will drag down the greater whole.

Spoiler: Leader

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Name: Dax Shu'Triffalen
Description: Dax is a rather typical leader of the Shu. Only mildly charismatic he is a rather staid and practical individual. While his original time on the council was for his mastery of practical matter relating to work with the Novendallin crystals his recent re-up to the council and elevation to leader were driven due to a recent focus in the elemental forces of the crystals and their use in practical defense natures. While he is beginning to grey in some areas there is no mistaking his Shu heritage in the browns and black of his coat and the definition in ear.

D12 - Nydri - Nydrian Collectives

Spoiler: Terrain

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While the ocean planet of Nydri has little terrain above the surface of the planet spanning ocean even at the poles where most planetologists would expect to find some measure of ice. This however does not mean that there is no terrain to Nydri with vast series of deep canyons, shelf areas, vast reefs and features. All of the colors of the visible spectrum represented in the variety of things moving below the waves and the more hostile above wave surface. The planets close orbit to the nearby white dwarf, locally called Lux is something of a mystery as it should not have survived in a watery state the cycle of a planet to that age and class of star. Even in an age of local and galactic travel platforms for vessels leaving the planet only reach above the waves for short period when they are sending or receiving vessels. Each sector of the planet having their own version of a surfacing platform to handle the changes in pressure and landing for both sides.

Spoiler: People

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While to many surface dwelling humanoid races the Nydrians appear to have more in common with a dolphin than with normal humanoids with tail and sleek body to propel them though water though still possessing a pair of more typical arms as well as two sets of tentacles ending in something more akin to suction cups. Genetic markers show that the Nydrians are definitely not native to their planet and more recent study shows that they aren't truly native to Nydri at all but are gathered from a variety of systems and genetically engineered and then left or possibly forgotten on the planet. Since that time the Nydrians have slowly spread to every edge of the watery world. While not transmitting language or vocalization in the same manner as surface dwellers there is a rather long history of music to the planet though often times at frequencies and harmonics not noticed by non-natives.

Spoiler: History

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Highly territorial and extremely dogmatic for much of their history the Nydrians had held to their worship and debate of some of the shelled Mandrake varieties. With warfare, both of a vocal as well as dogmatic nature being quite common throughout the many centuries of their recorded time. They have one of the shorter recorded histories of the more recently Maturated or discovered sapient races being only around 2500 years old since their first coalescing into long term history and civilization. Though their progress from near stone age to a more modern, almost post-industrial society was accelerated with no gap periods or dark ages that seem to typify many of the other groups.

Studies both from the native Nydrians as well as more recently done by the Melfyians and the Etherites point to a large number of oddities with the planet, with some theories ranging from cosmic accident to a fully custom planet. The molten core of the planet being oddly and unusually hot, not just for other ocean worlds but seemingly compensating for the fact that there is not as much nearby solar radiation to heat the planet as a whole.

Recent years have brought the coming of OwO and the One as philosophies to Nydri with OwO and more specifically UwU having a large impact on Nydrian society. One of the collectives known to others as the Hin-tye found a new and very different audience for their arts with the coming access to UwU and with it a new sense of galactic community and trade.

Travel beyond Nydri requires rather specific conditions and containment that does not see many of their people leaving the planet. Though, exposure to newer races and newer worlds has allowed a colonization of sorts as many of the surface dwelling races with the ETL have accommodated welcomed Nydri collectives to their shores and oceans as a frontier that they themselves are not fully equipped to utilize.

Spoiler: Government

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Small fiercely territorial and yet close collectives spotted the planet for much of the time. While the various groups did over time come together to form a more unified planetary government the vast majority of the actual work is done at an intensely local level with a sense of sharing and community within those collective groups.

Spoiler: Resources

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Mandrake Poison - Sometime food source often time hallucinogenic and neuro toxin the mandrake native to Nydri is a flexible use byproduct of a rather abundant shellfish on the planet.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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For most of their history the central belief system was Shell worship with moments of ecstatic events brought about by use of the mandrake.
The recent years brought about a conversion to the religion of OwO and the exposure to UwU. Shortly thereafter the Rocthuri brought the tenants of the One to Nydri. While it flows well with the collective nature of the Nydrian it still sits uneasily with some of the inhabitants.

C9: Redonda

Spoiler: Terrain

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A mostly oceanic planet, Redonda is spotted with islands and island chains. The lands itself are, on a geological scale, always shifting due to the tides and the pull of the nearby gas giant that it orbits. Oddly colored Cayman is a greenish gas giant of unusual composition. Beaches and serene living spot the surface of the world with only a few islands being more rocky outcroppings and dormant volcanos.

Spoiler: People

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Most of the roughly humanoid inhabitants of Redonda have lived there for quite some time and there is no real consensus of how they came to be on Redonda and the science that is conducted there is convinced that the people are not native to the planet much less the system. At this point the people are more organized into small communities that have only a loose trade and communication with islands more than 100 miles distant. The pace of life on Redonda can only be described as leisurely, not to say that there aren't the industrious types amongst them just that most of the populace is content with their world and their lot, living in a rough harmony with the world as a whole.
The buildings are, while styled to match tastes of the different island chains all very natural in design and material. There are no overlarge buildings or platforms that are considered permanent structures as the geology and weather patterns of the planet seem to have an almost active attraction towards destroying them.

Spoiler: History

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A thousand years of history lie documented in a variety of forms, documenting skirmishes between island chains. The rise and fall all attempts to create a more unified overall government and a thousand historians analyzing why. Now, the trick is, they were all drunk due to having a drinks in fuzzy gourds with miniature shade devices stuck in them so the coherency of any history is sketchy at best. The overall laid back nature that precludes any sort of long term efforts. The transitory nature of the landmasses has led to a relaxed paradise of semi nomadic peoples more concerned with enjoying and being at peace with the world around them than with any sort of sweeping actions.

Spoiler: Government

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There hasn't been any sort of true unified government of Redonda. Most if not all of the inhabitants would scoff at the nature and ask the simple question of why bother, thing are how things are here and everyone likes how things are. Rules and ownership are mostly eschewed for the good of your local peoples and while there is conflict it is overwhelmingly local in nature.

Spoiler: Resources

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High energy plasma due to the close proximity of the gas giant and the fluid volcanic situation on the planet has been a long studied and utilized tool. The plasma disrupters that originate present a unique manufacturing method and overall durability for the weapons system. Their construction imbued and created in the hearts of dormant volcanoes has led to a high proficiency with ranged combat among the people.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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No major or even minor overriding philosophy is present throughout the inhabitants of Redonda. While there are a number smaller belief system they varry

C7 - Djeriwith

Spoiler: Terrain

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A sandy windswept rocky world with little in the way of available water source, Djeriwith is planet that is very sparsely populated. Only within the Spires, the northern and southern magnetic about 400 miles of jutting rocky spikes, smoothed by sandblasting wind. The rest of the planet is a sandlot with only small bits of exposed rocky outcropping. Most of the life on the planet long term lives within the Spires or in small cave complexes.

Spoiler: People

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A sparse populated planet in comparison to most planets the planet of Djeriwith is populated with humans. The history of which shows it was one of a number of small prison planets abandoned from a long ago galaxy spanning empire. Combining social with ecological experimentation the population is a unique slice of humanity that has over time developed into a very narrowly developed scientific society of hard people with a hard way.

Spoiler: History

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Familial names with ties to the crimes of the original "settlers" of Djeriwith the ties to the past are strongly felt several millennia later. With water such a scarce resource the small communities or sietches that have sprung up center around small groups no larger than 10,000 individuals with most being between 100-1000. Specialized equipment to deal with the terrain and environment are a must and exemplify the adaptive nature of humanity.

Spoiler: Government

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The Djeri have traditionally been ruled by something close to a survival of the fittest. With a tribal ruler staying in the position for life or until challenged for the right of rule. The progression of time has seen collections of sietch tribes coming together to accomplish larger goals and tasks however they have always been a very short term effect and impact. With the invention of the black hole generators and exposure to the galaxy as a whole as seen the acknowledgment of a Jarm or tribulation leader for the entire planet. When larger issues come up a council of rulers or Naibs is called together.

Spoiler: Resources

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Black Hole generators, an odd development of technology that allows for short term creation of black holes, though not initially understood, as a fuel source has a rather potent output.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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No overriding philosophy other than survival of the fittest. Pushing people to the edge of endurance and capability. The internal loyalty of the people to the other members of the sietch and the great good of the tribe.

C11 - Shdrathan - Consensus of the Shdraxi

Spoiler: Terrain

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Shdrathan is a silicate planet that would normally classified as an uninhabitable to most life existing rather far outside of the normal "goldilocks" zone of most populated planets. It has an overly strong magnetic planetary core and extremely harsh terrain by most standards being composed of large rock formations, crystalline outcroppings and pockmarked by ancient asteroid strikes. There is no carbon based life native at this point to the planet though there is a series of different types of crystalline lifeforms more adapted to the cold and magnetic differences.

Spoiler: People

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The sapient species of Shdrathan is a silicon based, roughly 1-2 meter in size spider. The Shdraxi as the collective calls itself speaks internally utilizing a network of silicon nanowires that are produced by the Shdraxi themselves. While an individual or small group of the Shdraxi can operate independent of the whole they lack a true understanding or really concept of the individual. Communication is all done and shared throughout the

Spoiler: History

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History rides throughout the Shdraxi like a wave through the psychic consciousness of the collective while on Shdrathan. That history goes back to a time when groups were isolated and there were conflicts between what could best be thought of as the tribes of the Shdraxi where central personalities drove groups, that as things ebbed and flowed the personalities slowly merged and the history stored in webbed matrices of crystalline lattice work. However, the Shdraxi have never been an overly warring or warlike group and the mergings of tribe into community into region into planetary network were a slow evolutionary process. With life on the planet existing in a very balanced sense of stasis. There exists very little explorationary drive within the consensus as a whole as the weave of the planet slowly grew. None of the Shdraxi until the most recent events had conceived of why to leave their planet and the collective with the vast communal knowledge.
Recent history has been more eventful with the introduction of the Etherites and the coming of many new ideas and interactions. Curiosity sparked in a way that the consensus hadn't known in millennia since the uniting of the various tribes. What followed was many years of work towards a unified communication and finding that something natural and yet vital to the Shdraxi was valuable to others as well. Then came the night when the stars changed, with that brought the Melfyians and OwO. In a moment that the Consensus as a whole still doesn't understand or have full records on they found themselves as part of Melfyian territory. Near the same time the Consensus decided that following OwO and being connected(?) to UwU was not for them and started following the tenets of the One. This combination of things led to a new thing within the consensus, a sense of unrest, and a sense of fragmentation. A group of the Shdraxi were able to commandeer a combination of OwO and Melfyian transport and escaped to Etherite space, the group that they had first met from the stars. With the disappearance and collapse of the Melfyians, this fragment came back with some of the the regular Etherite transport with a newfound sense of the galaxy and the possibility of expansion off of their home planet.

Spoiler: Government

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As an effective hive mind, there is little in the way of current formal government on Shdrathan as one was not needed. The consensus decides and then moves as one.

Spoiler: Resources

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Silicon Nanowire - The nanowire that is used to enable the transmission of Shdraxi thought and store information can be safely harvested as well to be a rather potent electronic component able to hand nearly any kind of signal thrown at it including picking up on nearby psychic emanations.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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While not sporting an over-riding philosophy of their own, there have been several more recent attempts to influence the thought of the Shdraxi. The exposure to OwO and the UwU had a very interesting impact on the information the consensus has access to. The conversion shortly thereafter to the One reverberates within the consensus to a larger degree.

C13 - Realms of Horizon

Spoiler: Terrain

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Horizon is a relatively typical continental world with a wide variety of terrains and climates. Sitting at a roughly 1 AU orbit with 4 other planetary bodies in the system of a main class star. The biggest oddity to the planet is that there is no developed life on Horizon or any of the other major planetary bodies in the system and only it's proximity to the former Melfynian capital is the major landmark. While there were some minor outposts on the planet it is relatively uninhabited though has a small collection of Melfynian refugees that were off planet when their home system disappeared.
The furthest planet of the system has been labeled as Doissetep by a collection of Shdraxi as an attempt to see if there way for them to expand in a colonial manner. A rocky and cold world it is a primarily silicon planet and is fairly similar to the home system of Shdrathan.

Spoiler: People

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No major population centers exist at this time on Horizon or it's companion planets. Though it is of prime consideration for several colonization efforts of members of the trade league with Shdraxi outposts on the newly christened Doissetep and Etherits and Human outposts on Horizon with some the local trading and farming combines being classified as unique Realms.

Spoiler: History

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The sector of space was the original home system of the Melfynian's though with their disappearance not much of that history remains. The future begins to unfold with colonization efforts and preservation efforts of what remains of the Melfynians and to either provide them a sanctuary space or transportation to a location more amenable.

Spoiler: Government

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A relatively lawless space at his point in time the individual worlds are looking to fall in line more with the overall trading culture of the Trade league and it's position within the larger Star League.

Spoiler: Resources

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While reduced to an overall rocky debris field the Melfynian Alloys (hard metal) that the system was known for are still very much present. No major effort has been put forward as yet to begin harvesting or refining this metal.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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At this time there is no major school or place of worship in the sector to guide the locals.

B12 - Schizaphis

Spoiler: Terrain

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A large, rocky world with gravity of only .5 g but a higher oxygen and helium content in the air has led to a world of mega flora and fauna. Towering trees and overlarge flowering and non-flowerring surface vegetation. The light from the nearby white star causes many colors to seam washed out to most lifeforms but for those able to see beyond the normal spectrum of humanoid vision is treated to a world alight with color and energy.

Spoiler: People

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Schizaphis are a predominately brown and green colored 2 meter long and 1 meter tall insectoid, similar in appearance to grass Aphids. Depending on diet their coloration will slowly change over time. Throughout much of their maturation cycle the population of the planet is primarily female with members of the species genetically becoming male during the fall season based on climate. The society is thus, a matriarchal one centered on local or regional queens and following a fairly strict social order. Recent growth as the Schizaphis have reached the beginnings of an industrial society has caused a massive explosion of population and over-farming of areas. The Schizaphis are a civilization on the rise…or is it on the fall. The explosion of population, the changing of hands from exploration to the coming and disappearance of the Melfyians, the introduction of a variety of philosophies has produced a civilization on the brink. Where time brings them and can the planet be stabilized is up to the question of powers.

Spoiler: History

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With the move from a purely agrarian into the beginnings of industrialization has moved the Schizaphis from a civilization in balance with their environment to one that is at it's first major brink of correction or extinction. The entrance of the Melfyians into the Schizaphis area and society had very little impact outside of the bringing of OwO. Even with ships and traders bringing in communications from distant worlds it seems that OwO had a reduced impact compared to on other worlds. The world is still in flux and is more than ever on the brink of an ecological disaster.

Spoiler: Government

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Current planetary government is a Matriarchal monarchy with the highest position being that of Empress. Though the Empress herself has little personal power as most of it is decentralized down into the lower Queens and duchesses at a regional level. The Empress's power and scope of responsibility has been defined for outward matters pointing towards the relatively new concept of extra planetary affairs.

Spoiler: Resources

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The primary resource of the planet is a massive sized, 5 meter in length cereal grain Manoomin (Fauna). Current cultivation efforts for external export have been focused in two of the larger kingdoms of Schleswig (TP 1) and Wilhelmia (TP 2).

Spoiler: Philosophy

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No philosophy was predominant with the Schizaphis prior to discovery by the Etherites. With the first revolution and the changing of the skies brought the Melfyians and OwO. While OwO took hold many of it's principles did not as the language and communication barrier just was not to be breached.

[Nefarion Xid]

Republic of Celes
Last Updated: 9/25, Round 8

Current Leader: Consul Maximilian Relor (Loyalist Party)

Diplomacy: 10
Military: 10
Economy: 5
Philosophy: 1
Intrigue: 1

Capital Region: Celes System (R 26)
Resources: Celenian Alloys (Great)
Occupied Trading Posts: Levitan Forge (EHZ)
Unoccupied Trading Posts: Behem Forge, Xi Forge
Desired Imports: Arts & Entertainment
Occupied Learning Centers: CEL News HQ on Celes V (Ultranationalism)

Region: Ordivicia System (Q 25)
Resources: Ordivician Alloys (Good)
Unoccupied Trading Posts: Industrial City Tasadre; Industrial City Lindre
Unoccupied Learning Centers: Cathedral at Lindre

Region: Erebus Nebula (R 24)
Resources: Singularity Coal (Minor)
Unoccupied Trading Posts: Outpost Alpha
Occupied Learning Centers: Temple of Erebus (The One)

Region: Haethalia System (R 28)
Resources: Haethalian Rubies (Minor)
Occupied Trading Posts: Gel Avas Salvage Site (CEL)
Unoccupied Trading Posts: Yuan Van Salvage Site, Talan Rad Salvage Site
Unoccupied Learning Centers: Temple Complex at Nular

Other Occupied Trading Posts: P28, TP2 (High Fashion)
Other Occupied Trading Posts: N18, TP1 (Anti-Matter)

Military - 8 Units: RCS Harbinger of Dawn Lancer-class Cruiser [3 Units], RCS Presage of Dusk Lancer-class Cruiser [3 Units], Jackstar Mercenary Fleet [1 Unit]
Military - 2 Units serving under EHZ: RCS Squall Rook-class Frigate [1 Unit], Jackstar Mercenary Fleet

Treaties: Defensive pact with EHZ and NUT.
Embassies: NUT, EHZ, GLR
Other Diplomacy: Unsanctioned Philosophy conversions are subject to swift military expulsion. Conversion of the R26 is a cause for war.

Claims: Q27

Spoiler: Region: Celes, R26

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In a departure from traditional naming conventions, the Celes System is named after a gas giant, rather than the star. The anomalous, stable yellow supergiant is known as Ixion, while Celes is a blue gas giant and hosts the original human colonies on its moons. Celenians do not regard their homes as colonies, and evidence that the moons benefited from ancient terraforming has been destroyed by the government. The official story is that humans were created here. Humans found elsewhere in the galaxy are either not really humans, or are descended from ancient exiles.

There are one hundred and seventy three planets and dwarf planets in the system, along with over twenty million cataloged asteroids. Most bodies diminutive barren rocks that don't even merit names. The majority of Celenian civilization exists within the orbit of Celes, and on thirteen of its twenty seven moons (denoted by sequential Roman Numerals). The thirteen are all sub-Earth sized and roughly suitable for human habitation to varying degrees. Celes V is the largest and home to twelve billion souls with another fifty thousand residing in orbital habitats. The twelve other moons and habitats around Celes have a combined population of twenty billion. Another sixteen billion noncitizens reside elsewhere in the system on colonies or asteroid mining stations.

Under the current law, only those born within the Lunar Sphere (which is to say, on the moons or habitats orbiting Celes) are eligible for citizenship. Spouses of lunar citizens are only granted paracitizenship, as are children born outside the sphere to only one citizen parent. Rights for paracitizens are comparable to full citizenship, excepting the ability to vote in Senatorial and Consulship elections.

Notable locations:
Celes I - In a declining orbit and estimated to crash into Celes's atmosphere within five millennia.
Celes II - Tidally locked. Intermittently bathed in a cool twilight glow by the light reflected off of Celes's clouds, or plunged into darkness on the far side of the planet for days at a time. Home to a quasisapient bat-like species.
Celes V - The most populated moon by a wide margin. Heavily urbanized, but surprisingly clean.
Celes VI - The second most populated world. The lights of Celes V's cities can be seen from the surface when they pass, approximately every three years.
Celes VII - The least populated original colony and the seat of government. The Consul resides here. The Senate meets here.
Celes X - [REDACTED]
Celes XXIV - A smaller rocky moon, and not one of the originally inhabited thirteen. It serves only a distant and fortified base for the Office of Naval Sciences.
Celes XXVII - Has an orbital period of twelve years.

Bronesbach - A colony world in the green zone. Currently in open rebellion.
Bormont - An asteroid colony. Currently protesting for enfranchisement in the Senate and citizenship.
Corth - A reservation world in the green zone. Inhabited by the native Corthish people.
Donalais - A colony world in the green zone. Currently in open rebellion.
Drida - A reservation world in the green zone. Inhabited by the native Dridani.
Getzberg - An asteroid colony. Currently protesting for enfranchisement in the Senate and citizenship.
Lompelle - A colony world in the green zone. Currently in open rebellion.
Madras - A colony world in the green zone. Enthusiastic supporters of Republic rule.
Resailles - A colony world in the green zone. Currently protesting for enfranchisement in the Senate and citizenship.
Roneheim - An asteroid colony. Currently protesting for enfranchisement in the Senate and citizenship.
Vorgét - A colony world in the green zone. Currently protesting for enfranchisement in the Senate and citizenship.

Levitan Forge (Trading Post) - The largest superalloy forge in orbit on the periphery of the middle of three asteroid belts. Includes a fuel depot, multiple shipyards, and a trading post.
Behem Forge (Trading Post, Uncontrolled) - A superalloy forge on the far asteroid belt. Not currently controlled by the Republic.
Xi Forge (Trading Post, Uncontrolled) - A second superalloy forge on the far asteroid belt. Not currently controlled by the Republic.

Spoiler: People

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Celenian citizens are exclusively human. They are not a monolithic culture. Having been spread across thirteen moons with only minor opportunities to relocate, lunar customs are diverse. Just on Celes V, there are sixty eight distinct regional accents, identifiable down to the district in the megacities.

Humans living outside of Republic control are even more diverse. They are primarily located in the asteroid belts and a sparse number of planets existing within the green zone.

Noncitizen sapient species native to the star system include the plant-like Dridani and the porcine Corthish. Some Corth are employed in agricultural labor on colony worlds.

Quasisapient species include the large bat-like Wyverns who reside on the moon of Celes II. Research into their rapid, high pitched language of clicks is ongoing, but it is believed that adult wyverns are as intelligent as 6 year old human children.

Spoiler: History

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Of all the knowledge that could have survived the human diaspora, what the Republic chose to preserve were the cleverest mechanisms of control. The rest of their history was consigned to ash. If there is anything the elite share with their distant ancestors, it is the capacity and willingness to wield politics and religion as cudgels, and a well founded fear of the people knowing too much.

Ostensibly, the system is governed by a republic. Examined under scrutiny, it resembles nothing of the sort. Centuries ago, the Loyalists succeeded in engineering the electoral process so heavily in their favor that they could never fall out of power as long as they maintained rigid party cohesion. Even when opposition candidates did win the Consulship, the Senate remained in Loyalist hands, ensuring only brief periods of intransigence with ceaseless castigation from sympathetic media.

A steady diet of xenophobia coupled with a near mythological (or at least heavily edited) account of human history has created a fanatical bastion of support for the ruling party. Though objectively a minority among the citizenry, Loyalists control a more than comfortable majority of orbital habitats and terraformed moons, which all merit seats in the Senate and votes in the Consulship election. Common among Loyalists is a deep sense of patriotism, reverence for the military as the only thing standing between civilization and invasion, and a general acceptance of the state endorsed religion of Aeonism.

Spoiler: Government

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The ruling party, holding the Consulship and Senate for an uninterrupted 71 Galactic Years, are the Loyalists. Consul Maximilian Relor serves as both the head of state and the supreme commander of the Celenian military. Policing falls within the purview of the military. The Office of the Vice Consul oversees the various Ministries, collects taxes, and directs spending. The Senate legislates, levies taxes and appropriates funds. Thirteen senate-appointed Magistrates provide for the judiciary and can only be removed by a 2/3rds vote of no confidence.

Overall, the political state in the Republic is poor. Multiple colony worlds are in open rebellion. More worlds are threatening to secede without full citizenship, representation in the Senate, and the right to vote in the Consul election. Even Republic citizens can scarcely agree with one another. Protests are frequent and increasingly violent. The Senate is chaos, but still manages to rubber-stamp the Consuls' agenda.

Loyalist Party: Want a strong military to protect the system the omnipresent threat of alien invasion. Devout Aeonists. Things used to be better.
Populist Party: Poor, working class citizens who think the Loyalists are all corrupt elites. Still votes with Loyalists 98% of the time.
Imperialist Party: Extremely vocal about military expansionism thanks to new FTL tech. Advocates for the lifetime appointment of the current Consul.
Gold Party: Taxation is theft. Deregulate everything. Decriminalize recreational anxiolytic spores. Still votes with Loyalists 97% of the time.
Federalist Party: Maintain the status quo. Act surprised when Loyalists continue to dismantle democratic institutions.
Labor Party: Workers rights. Mandatory profit-sharing. Still votes with Loyalists 52% of the time.
Collectivist Party: Radical support for a post-wealth society. Universal suffrage. Citizenship for nonhumans.
Azure Party: Progressive Federalists who actually want to introduce legislation to repair the democracy. Currently gaining popularity as other left leaning candidates switch parties.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Aeonism, in its current form, teaches that Celes, its moons, and humans were created by a beneficent deity, the Aeon. The rest of the universe is godless chaos and all other sapient species arose as cosmic accidents, or as the evil designs of lesser Dark Aeons. Denominations within Aeonism are myriad, so there is no exact consensus on spiritual matters, but the religion has nonetheless achieved cultural ubiquity and is endorsed by the state. While the disparate holy texts have been used to support anything from xenosubjugation to optimal living room arrangements, most modern Aeonists are only modestly observant; they enjoy the holidays, attend services when convenient, and assure one another that the souls of good people are rewarded in some sort of extra-dimensional paradise.

All told, 62% of the Celenian population identifies as Aeonists. Atheism and Agnosticism combine for 29%. Gaianists, Lilinists, Triadists, and fourteen other faiths account for the rest.

If the Republic can be said to have a unifying philosophy, it is fervent patriotism. Despite differing political ideologies, 81% of citizens polled said they 'support' or 'strongly support' the military, while 72% said they were 'concerned' or 'very concerned' about the threat of extrasolar invasion.

The current philosophy of the Republic is Ultranationalism with CEL News Headquarters serving as the most identifiable Learning Center for this philosophy.

Spoiler: Resource

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Scattered among the asteroid belts are some hundred drone-operated foundries, necessary for the mass production of superior alloys that make capital ships, stations, orbital habitats, and other mega-engineering projects possible in deep space. While the Celes system is not unusually mineral rich, the foundries alleviate the bottleneck between mining and manufacturing.

Resource: Celenian Alloys
Quantity: Great
Category: Hard Metal
Required Resource: Media/Art/Entertainment. Although notoriously xenophobic, the rise of intergalactic culture has created an insatiable demand for xenomedia in all forms. Music, films, literature, and fashion are all consumed rabidly by the Celenian elite. Art objects are most valued, even if they are mass produced.

Spoiler: Region: Ordivicia Q25

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The sole inhabited world in the region is Ordivicia IV, a super-Earth planet with 1.78 times standard gravity. Most of the planet's surface is covered in dense vegetation, so dark green as to appear black under the glow of their distant red giant star. Lunar born Celenians find the surface exhausting. The natives are a stocky race with long, bulbously muscular arms and short legs. They have ruddy brown-red skin and wear their thick black hair in intricate braids, usually adorning the tips with gold facets. Due to their squat builds and penchant for stone and metalwork, they have been nicknamed Dwarves by the humans of Celes.

Unsurprisingly, Ordivicia hosts few native species capable of flight, spare for some varieties of insects. They also have no terrestrial species larger than a horse. Despite having a working understanding of rocketry and the capability to develop appropriate fuels, Dwarves have reached the conclusion that achieving orbit would be either physically impossible, or so expensive as to be logistically impossible. They are keenly interested in acquiring Celenian plasma thrusters and fusion power plants.

Ordivicians have little in the way of religious beliefs. Most are atheists or engage in a smattering of ancestor worship. While bodies are cremated, grand cenotaphs are erected for each family with additional smaller shrines and statues added as members pass on. The Cathedral at Lindre is the largest such stone structure with thousands of lovingly detailed statues of the influential Lind family.

The smog filled factory cities of Lindre and Tasadre are the most notable production centers, the foundries supplying their developing industrial civilization with thousands of tonnes steel per year. One steel alloy (Ordivician Alloys) is remarkable for its extreme elasticity and tensile strength.

Spoiler: People

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Ordivician natives are a stocky race with long, bulbously muscular arms and short legs. They have ruddy brown-red skin and wear their thick black hair in intricate braids, usually adorning the tips with gold facets. Due to their squat builds and penchant of stone and metalwork, they have been nicknamed Dwarves by the humans of Celes.

Practical minded and in awe of Celenian technology, the dwarves are acculturating rapidly, accelerated by regular supply drops of gadgets and pop culture. Infrastructure improves at a breakneck pace under the governor's direction as fusion power plants and water treatment facilities are built.

Spoiler: History

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Assuredly long and storied and of no interest to anyone but the Ordivicians and a few Celenian academics.

Spoiler: Government

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The Celenian Devin Ito has been appointed the planetary governor of Ordivicia.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Ordivicians have little in the way of religious beliefs. Most are atheists or engage in a smattering of ancestor worship. While bodies are cremated, grand cenotaphs are erected for each family with additional smaller shrines and statues added as members pass on. The Cathedral at Lindre is the largest such stone structure with thousands of lovingly detailed statues of the influential Lind family.

Spoiler: Resource

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Ordivician Alloy is a steel alloy with remarkable elasticity and tensile strength. Trading Posts are the two factory packed cities of Lindre and Tasandre.

Spoiler: Region: Erebus R24

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Most of the space in the region is occupied by the vast Erebus Nebula. Traversing the densest parts of the nebula at more than 1/4 cruising speed is essentially suicide due to the ionized gasses, particulates and unpredictable kilometer wide asteroids. Conventional sensor technology is completely ineffective at a range of 500 kilometers. Further scientific investigation of the region is anemic, but current theories attribute the formulation of the nebula to trio of supermassive stars that went nova simultaneously.

Spoiler: People

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The Erebus Nebula is devoid of native life with the exception of a species of voidborn lichen that affix to asteroids, and a tardigrade-like creature found frozen in ice, alive, though dormant. A visitor to the region is likely to only encounter prospecting Celenians, or the pirates preying on miners and cargo ships, as the Republic has thus far failed to pacify the nebula.

Spoiler: History

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Essentially none. The only object of historical importance is the so called Temple of Erebus -- a kilometer wide deep space station of unknown origin. The station was abandoned possibly millennia prior, and despoiled of anything of value in the time since. The metal etchings that survive seem to depict the creation and apocalypse myths of a lithe mammalian race with elongated skulls and large eyes set on the sides of their heads. The final mural looks to be historically accurate, at least, as it shows the race cowering and then fleeing the three gods/suns as they crumble and explode.

Spoiler: Government

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Gran Jefferson has been appointed governor of the region, but it remains essentially lawless as pirates can operate with impunity from the densest parts of the nebula, undetected except by close sensor sweeps

Spoiler: Philosophy

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None/extinct. The Temple of Erebus (See History) lies abandoned on the outskirts of the nebula.

Spoiler: Resource

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Singularity Coal is the only reason anyone braves the hellish region. While stable in a vacuum and micro-gravity environments, the hyper-dense crystals implode in a spectacular fashion when exposed to atmosphere or threshold of gravity waves. Safely contained, and exposed to a controlled release of hydrogen, even a gram of the crystals produce a sustained fission reaction which can be harnessed to power a city or the massive ships of the Republic Navy. Outpost Alpha is the only trading post in the area.

Spoiler: Region: Haethalia R28

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The region is altogether free of stellar curiosities but for one pulsar that renders nearly a tenth of the space uninhabitable unless you happen to be a species of radiation resistant chemosynthetic bacteria.

Haethal, the star system of real interest, is a fairly standard assortment with four inner rocky worlds, four outer gas giants, and a number of rocky dwarf planets beyond. The third world is habitable and a virtual paradise for Terran physiology, though lacking in biodiversity, conspicuously lacking the expected variety of megafuana and predator species. Preliminary surveys place the blame on mass extinctions caused by a geologically brief spike in greenhouse gasses. Surviving records are sparse, but hint that a human colony may have formed here as an experiment in the philosophical principles of Egoism. The crumbling landscape paints a bleak tableau of polluted, overpopulated urban hellscape, not dissimilar to Droccen. Microplastics are still omnipresent and can be found in trace amounts in all surface water and animal tissue. The planet's climate seems to have recovered (some six thousand years later), having sequestered a critical amount of CO2 in biomass. Most of the world is covered in virgin forests.

Spoiler: People

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The surviving human population of Haethal III live in disparate tribes spread mostly across the northern hemisphere, hundreds of generations removed from the original colonists and the collapse of their civilization. Humans are the only intelligent species in the region, although otters have begun to make stone tools. The pinnacle of human achievement thus far is the bronze spearhead, the chariot, and the receipt of sale as painstakingly printed into clay tablets. Otters have also been observed scratching pictographs into rock faces, but their written language, such as it is, consists mostly of communicating where shellfish are plentiful. They have also been observed practicing deceit in telling other otters where shellfish are plentiful.

The human inhabitants have been welcomed back into the fold as Celenian scions and have begun reintegrating into the culture on a voluntary basis.

Spoiler: History

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See above. The inhabited world of Haethal III hosts only an emerging Bronze Age society of humans that survived some near apocalyptic climate crisis. Records from the original colonists are sparse, but do exist in English, further indicating the colony to have an ancient Celenian origin (or at least the human predecessors to the Celenian civilization). Extant languages are a nearly incomprehensible pidgin, exciting no one except Dr. David Stradford. Modern written records almost always related to the sale of grain, livestock, and bronze. Oral traditions are rich and varied with at least seven distant cultures sharing a semi-creation myth about a global flood and rampant wildfires.

Spoiler: Government

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Linda DeGrant has been appointed governor of the region, a position which requires little interaction with the "native" inhabitants beyond buying out land occupied by people settled too close to lucrative mining sites. Tribal or fledgling city state governments are diverse and the minutiae of their operations do not concern the Republic.

Spoiler: Philosophy

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Varied. The human inhabitants have sundry local gods and no unifying religion or philosophy. Surviving pre-collapse literature is mostly limited to crumpled pornography and Ayn Rand. The only thing close to a Learning Center would be the Temple Complex at Nular, a place where philosopher priests debate if there are three, four or five elements with Fire and Metal being the odd elements out under some classifications.

Spoiler: Resource

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Haethalian Rubies were synthesized by the previous, advanced civilization and are the only usable components of their ruined machinery. Celenian engineers speculate they may be usable in the development of long range energy weapons. The largest concentration of these rubies may be found at the Yuan Van Salvage Site.